The Day that Some Things Happened
by iwasnthere622
Summary: Once upon a time, there were some stalkers, and some crazy people, and some slightly less crazy people, and other people who did things like bake and have motorcycles and stuff. It was pretty cool.
1. People Meet People Yay

Hiya! So this is a new fic that Cami (Darkness-Chill) and I RP'd. Um. It's AU, and I think it pretty much speaks for itself. Slightly insane, but what else would you expect from something from the two of us? :D

Virtual cookies to whoever can guess who RP'd who! ;)

We don't own Kingdom Hearts. We just borrow the characters.

XXXX

Roxas slammed the oven door shut angrily and huffed out a breath, turning back to the counter. Grumbling under his breath about stupid history professors, he started to place the next batch of raw cookie dough onto the baking sheets.

Yawning, his older brother walked into the room, grabbing one of the raw cookies and popping it into his mouth, chewing, "Thanks, Rox." he muttered with his mouth full, plopping down into one of the chairs at the dining room table.

"SORA!" Roxas shrieked, following Sora into the dining room while shaking a spatula at him. "Now I won't have a perfect two dozen!"

Sora raised an eyebrow, "What teacher?"

Roxas sighed, plopping down next to his brother. "History," He grumbled, staring at the table.

"With Dr. Even? Yeah, don't blame you." Sora said, shaking some of the sleep out of his head as he leaned back, "Well, he's been accused of child molestation before, so if he doesn't pass you, just tell the Dean you saw him touching kids or something." Sora grinned.

Roxas looking up, grinning. "Thanks, Sora! But how'd ya know that?"

Sora just winked and got up to change, "If you're baking those cookies, hurry up. I'll drive you to the school, but I'm leaving in a half hour."

"My cookies!" Roxas yelled, running back into the kitchen. He quickly yanked open the oven door. _Whew, still have a little time._ Smiling, in an infinitely better mood, he returned to his cookie dough and baking sheets, humming softly.

A half hour later, Sora came back downstairs, grabbing his keys off the hooks their mother insisted on using. Half the time he'd forget to put them there and his mother would have to hunt through his room to try and find them. Hunting through Sora's room was almost never worth it. "Ready?"

"Yup!" Roxas said, waving a small baggie filled with cookies. "Let's go!"

Sora chuckled, "C'mon, then." He headed out the kitchen door, not waiting to see if his little brother was following, and unlocked his old rustbucket from the path as he walked towards it.

Roxas ran after him, jumping quickly into the passenger seat, somehow managing to not smush his cookies. He quickly buckled up and before Sora could, reached for the radio and turned on death jam.

Sora climbed in after his brother, starting the car up as he pulled his own seatbelt on, "Someone's in a much better mood," he muttered as he backed out of the driveway.

Roxas just stuck his tongue out at him, head banging along with the slightly-staticy but still pounding music.

Sora just rolled his eyes and continued to drive, stopping in front of a house down the street. A pair of girls that were exactly the same height walked over from where they'd previously been sitting on the steps in front of their house, sliding into the backseat.

"Hi guys. Thanks for the ride!" The blonde beamed, nudging her sister to say the same.

Her sister wasn't quite as eloquent, "Holy shit, Sora. Turn the music down."

"No!" Roxas yelled, covering the knob with one hand and turning to glare at the redhead in the backseat. "This is my favorite station!"

"Well, your 'favorite station' is giving me a migraine." she glared, "Soooooraaaaa!"

"Just let 'im listen, Kai." Sora rolled his eyes, pulling away from the twins' house. "He had a bad morning."

Kairi huffed, "No excuse."

"C'mon, Kairi, it's not that bad." Naminé murmured, hiding her wince at the piercing wail pretending to be music that was filling the car.

"Thanks, Naminé! I always liked you better!" Roxas grinned at the blonde.

"...No problem, Roxas." Naminé said, not having the heart to make Sora's little brother feel even worse.

Kairi muttered something about loud music and jerks but stayed relatively silent as they pulled up to the college.

"Well, thanks for the ride! I'm gonna go find Hayner and Olette and Pence. Text me when you're leaving, 'kay?" Roxas said, jumping out the car clutching his cookies and running away without waiting for a reply.

Namine stared after him a moment before turning to stare at Sora.

Kairi leaned forward the minute the car door closed, turning the music off, "Oh, thank god." she muttered.

"Sorry about Roxas. He gets in these... moods, I guess, where the only things that cheer him up are cooking and really loud music. It's best to just let him listen, or he'll just give you a hard time." Sora told the two girls, "Do you guys need a ride back later? I'll be around."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure..." Naminé said, turning to send a questioning look at her sister. "I know I'll be done pretty soon, but..."

"Well, let me know." Sora said, "You too, Kai."

"Yeah, yeah." Kairi said, "I always do."

"Yeah, but usually about ten seconds after I leave, and I have to turn around."

Kairi just grinned at him, "At least it's only ten seconds! Could be worse!"

Naminé rolled her eyes. "I'll make sure you get more notice this time. Thanks again!" She got out of the car and headed off to the Psych wing. She had to talk to her professor about that B+...

Kairi leaned forward, "So, what class do you have today?"

Sora glanced back at her, "A couple of HR classes. You?"

Kairi made a face, "Chem lab," she groaned, glancing at the clock on the dashboard, "Which starts in ten minutes and is halfway across campus."

Sora rolled his eyes, turning his car back on.

"I love you too." Kairi grinned at him, leaning back to put her seatbelt back on.

XXXX

Roxas ran to the usual spot (the benches behind the science building) to meet up with Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Hayner saw him sprinting his way and waved his arm, "Hey, Roxas!"

Roxas grinned and plopped on the bench next to him. "Anybody want some cookies?"

"Mmm, I do." Olette grinned, snatching one out of the bag, "No offense, but I love it when you're depressed. Your cooking is awesome."

Roxas blushed, "Gee, thanks."

Pence dug his hand in and took out five.

Olette rolled her eyes.

Hayner grinned, "Anyway, what's everyone up to today?"

"Class until four," Pence muttered around a giant mouthful of cookie.

"Same." Roxas grimaced.

Olette made a face, "Eww." It was unclear whether she was talking about Pence's eating habits or them having class until four. "I'm done at noon today, but my class starts in... about nine minutes." she glanced at the science building as if she wished it would spontaneously combust so her class would be cancelled.

"Sucks to be you. I'm done, but I have soccer practice until six." Hayner grimaced, "What's everyone-" he cut off and glanced to the right, "Oh shit."

"What?" Olette looked past her brother.

"That dude! He's everywhere!" Hayner groaned.

Roxas rolled his eyes and smacked Hayner's arm, "You're so paranoid."

"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you!" Hayner hotly replied.

"Oh, yeah, Hayner." Olette grinned, "He's definitely following you around."

"See? I'm not going crazy!" He exclaimed.

Pence rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, buddy."

Hayner glared, "Don't talk to me all condescending. Oh, shit shit shit." He quickly stared at his feet.

Roxas rolled his eyes as the blonde guy walked past.

"You know what we should do?" Olette grinned, an idea forming in her head, "We should stalk him back. I mean, do you even know his name? Probably not. If you're gonna have a stalker, you should at least know your stalker's name."

Roxas rolled his eyes, this time directed at Olette, "Do not encourage him."

Hayner wasn't even paying attention, staring after the guy.

Olette grinned, obviously pleased by this turn of events. Glancing at her watch, she stood up, "Well, I'm about three minutes late now, so I'm gonna get going. See you guys later and we can figure some more stuff out about Hayner's mysterious stalker."

XXXX

Sora walked out of his class, yawning and not feeling much more awake than when he'd walked in. Actually, he was pretty convinced he was more exhausted now than when he'd walked in, but seeing as the class had absolutely nothing to do with anything he was interested in, it made some sense.

"Hey, Sora." Riku said, slapping him on the back and joining him on his journey to his car, "How was class?"

Sora barely reacted as Riku came out of nowhere, quite used to it, and just turned to glare at him, "How do you think class was? It's class. What are you doing here, anyway?" he yawned again, pulling his phone out to send a 'last chance' text to Kairi because he didn't have Namine's number.

Just as Riku was about to reply, his phone went off in his pocket. He pulled it out and grinned at the message. "Well, it looks like Naminé needs a ride home. Do you want me to tell her to grab Kairi too, or do you just want to call her?" Riku asked, cleverly avoiding the 'why are you here' question.

"Well, I just texted Kairi, but she's probably not gonna answer until I'm halfway home, so just tell Naminé to grab her." Sora shrugged, pulling his keys out, "You've got your car, right?"

"No, I have Reno's car. Mine needs to go into the Rusty Wrench for repairs again." Riku said, texting Naminé and getting a quick reply, "They're gonna meet us in the parking lot."

"Dude, my car's managed to last this long without repairs and it's like ten years older than yours. How does yours keep breaking?" Sora rolled his eyes.

Riku shrugged, unconcerned, "Don't know, don't care. I've got Reno's, so it's all good."

"Doesn't Reno need his car?" Sora asked, dropping the subject of Riku's.

Riku shrugged again, "Probably, but I got to it first. Oh, hey, there's the girls."

"SORA. UNLOCK YOUR CAR DOORS, I'M FREEZING MY ASS OFF." Kairi snapped at him from across the parking lot, dancing in place. If he wasn't so tired, Sora would have taunted her about her short shorts and tank top in forty degree weather, but he wasn't feeling up to it and just hit the unlock button.

Riku laughed and shook his head, walking over to his car and opening the door for Naminé, who was waiting patiently. As he walked around to the driver's side, he glanced across the lot at Sora and grinned, "What do you say we make this interesting? Race you home?"

Sora just grinned, "In that thing?" he gestured at his car, "Sure, why not? Loser has to buy lunch. Whose house?"

"Depends. Is Roxas home to cook?"

"Nope. He's at Hayner's soccer practice. Something about stalking and blonde guys. It's Roxas, so I'm not too worried." Sora shrugged.

"Alright then. To Naminé's house. Ready, set go!" he jumped in his car and gunned his engine, Naminé cheering him on.

Sora just rolled his eyes and climbed in his own car at a pace not much faster than his previous one.

"What the hell?" Kairi stared after Riku's car, "He's not that bad a driver."

"He thinks we're racing. Where do you wanna get lunch? It's on me, apparently." Sora chuckled, pulling out of the parking lot.

XXXX

After lunch and after dropping the girls off at their house, Sora parked his car in his driveway (they'd left Reno's at Kairi's, mostly just to taunt Reno. Sora was more awake and feeling up to Riku's half-brother-abuse.).

Riku made a beeline for the living room, plopping onto a chair and picking up the remote, immediately starting to flip through the channels.

Sora didn't even react, just shouting up the stairs, "HEY, ROXAS, YOU HOME?" When he got no answer, he shrugged and headed into the living room, sitting down in the chair opposite Riku.

Ten minutes later, Roxas walked in the door. "Oh. Hey Riku. Weren't you supposed to work today?"

Riku rolled his eyes, "Eh. Work."

Roxas blinked, "Okay, then. Whatcha watching?" he asked, sitting down on the couch.

Sora, from the other armchair, glanced over, "Some weird cop show with unicorns and dragons."

Roxas squinted at the screen and tilted his head, "Lemme guess, Riku picked?"

Riku smacked him in the head with the remote, "Shut up."

"Oww," Roxas whined, rubbing his head and muttering darkly about weird silver-haired people.

Sora chuckled, "Stop abusing my brother, Riku." he said with no heart behind his words.

Riku sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry, Roxas." he mumbled.

Roxas snorted, "Yeah right." He got up and walked towards the kitchen, "I'm getting a drink, anybody want anything?"

Riku grinned, "Now that you mention it, I could use a drink."

"Grab me a soda?" Sora asked.

"Sure, sure." Roxas grumbled, disappearing into the kitchen.

There was a loud, pounding knock on the door that seemed to get louder as it continued and continued and continued.

"What the heck?" Sora muttered, forcing himself out of his chair and walking over, swinging the door open.

The red-haired man standing there almost fell forward, having been so intent on knocking that he hadn't noticed the door opening and had continued. "Oh. Hey."

"Who the hell is it?" Riku shouted from the couch.

Sora glanced at the red-haired man, then turned in the general direction of the living room, "Uh, I think it's your boss!"

"Shit." Riku mumbled, quickly getting up and walking to the entryway. He coughed, making his voice a little scratchy, "Uh, hey Axel. What are you doing here?"

"Xemnas told me to fire you." Axel said, looking slightly uncomfortable for a moment, "But when Reno said you weren't home and he had no idea where you are but you had his car, I had to-" he cut off mid sentence as Roxas walked into the room.

"What the hell's going... oh. I didn't know someone else was here. Hi. Who's this, Sora?" Roxas said, with a tray of drinks in his hands.

"Uh, Roxas, this is Axel. Axel, this is my brother, Roxas. Roxas, we should probably leave Riku and his boss who is in the middle of firing him alone." Sora said.

"What? No. No you shouldn't." Axel said, the idea of firing Riku apparently not in his brain anymore, "I'm Axel. Wait, Sora already said that. Hi."

Roxas tilted his head and studied the strange redhead, "Hiiii..."

Riku attempted to cough up a lung, "What was that, Axel? I'm congested, so I didn't come into work today. What did you want?"

"Huh?" Axel glanced at Riku, "What are you still doing here? Go home and get some rest, didn't you say you had the flu?"

Riku blinked, then grinned at Sora, "Yeah. Right. Great idea, Axel. I'll see you tomorrow!" he bolted out the door.

Roxas shoved past Axel and screamed after the retreating silverette, "Wait, Riku! How are you getting home?"

Sora grumbled to himself, "I'll be back when I drop off Sicky McLiarpants." he mumbled, grabbing his keys from his pocket (and not his mother's hooks) and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Axel with Roxas.

"Right, so... Axel, was it? Do you wanna come watch TV or something?" Roxas asked.

"Sure! Definitely!" Axel coughed, "I mean, sure." he smiled.

"Riiiight." Roxas said, "Follow me." he said, turning and leading the way into the living room, plopping onto the couch, "Soda?"

Axel seemed a little bit more calm now, and nodded, "Sure, thanks."

"So, how exactly do you know Riku?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, I work at the Box Depot with him." Axel said, "Well, when he shows up, anyway."

Roxas chuckled, "Right. Well, I was planning on going to cook dinner, but..." Roxas said, glancing at Axel.

"But what?" Axel grinned, a small smirk evident, "Don't let my presence stop you."

Roxas gave him a funny look. "You seriously want to watch me cook dinner?"

"Why not? If Riku can get away with never coming to work, I can get away with leaving and not going back once." Axel grinned.

Roxas chuckled, "Okay, then," getting up from the couch and leading the way into the kitchen, "Just don't get in my way."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart." Axel smiled.

Roxas just shook his head and opened the fridge, pulling out ingredients to make lasagna. "So, do you cook at all?"

"Eh, not really." Axel said, "None of my roommates can cook, so unless we're making something easy, like sandwiches or cereal or something, we tend to use Zexion's bank account to order out."

Roxas just shook his head, amused, "Think you can handle chopping up some peppers?" he asked.

"I'm up for the challenge!" Axel said, grabbing a knife and waving it around in a slightly alarming manner.

Roxas's eyes widened and he carefully gripped Axel's wrist in one hand and pried the knife out with the other. "Maybe you should just wash the peppers for now."

Axel made a pouty face, "Fiiiine."

Roxas rolled his eyes, "So, Axel, how about in exchange for helping me cook, you stay for dinner?"

Axel's mood immediately perked up, "Okay! That sounds great!" he grinned, turning to wash the peppers with a new vigor.

XXXX

So, what'd you think? We hope you loved it! More coming as soon as we can find time to write it!

Again, cookies to whoever can figure out who RP'd who! :D

Review?


	2. Axel Gets A SemiBoyfriend

Axel threw open the door to his apartment, shouting down the hall as he passed it, "GUYS, GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE."

"For the last time, Axel, I'm a fuckin' GIRL." A female voice snapped back.

Axel rolled his eyes, plopping onto the couch in the living room and turning the TV on as loud as he could. Zexion's room was located directly behind the TV, and the younger boy hated it when the noise from Axel's "stupid, annoying, immature, brain-damaging MTV shows" woke him up/interrupted his reading/was existent. If anything could drive his friend out of his room it was this.

"AXEL!" Zexion screamed, the door from his room banging against the wall as he threw it open. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO KEEP THAT BRAIN-MELTING CRAP TURNED DOWN?"

Zexion quickly crossed the room and manually turned the stupid contraption off. "NO MORE NOISE!"

With a huff, he turned to head back into his room just as Cloud poked his head into the living room.

"Um... what's going on?" The blonde asked, eyeing his roommates.

Axel grabbed the back of Zexion's shirt, dragging him back into the room, "Uh uh. I put it on to get your attention, and now you're staying here."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "Well, you have everyone's attention. What?"

Axel cleared his throat and got up on top of the coffee table as if he was about to make a huge speech.

"I... have a boyfriend." Axel grinned maniacally, hopping off the table and walking into the kitchen before his friends could say a thing.

"Okay then. I'm going for a ride. Later." Cloud said, quickly shutting his door and leaving the house before Zexion could explode.

"YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!" Axel shouted from the kitchen.

"AXEL!" Zexion yelled, quickly following the redhead. "You mean to tell me that you blasted that infernal contraption just to make a stupid announcement like that! After I've specifically told you a MILLION times to keep it down! What the hell! That's it - YOU'RE buying dinner tonight."

"I already ate." Axel shrugged, grinning at him. "Seriously, though, Zex. I wouldn't blast that if it wasn't important."

Larxene walked into the room, grabbing a coffee mug out of the cabinet and pouring a glass of the only food anyone in their apartment could make-coffee. "What's so important? You having boyfriends is no big thing since high school."

"Eh, there's one problem." Axel shrugged.

Larxene sighed, "Your definition of boyfriend is skewed right now, isn't it?"

"He is TOO my boyfriend." Axel huffed.

"In your head, at least." Larxene mumbled, pouring sugar into her coffee.

Zexion huffed, grumbling about loud annoying roommates before plopping down into the nearest chair. He maintained his glare for a full minute, then sighed. "So who is he, anyway?"

"I knew you couldn't hate me for long." Axel grinned, "Brother of a friend of Riku's. Roxas."

Zexion blinked. "Why is everything complicated with you?" He grumbled. "How the hell you'd meet him? What's he look like? Geez, Axel, way to make a huge announcement and then not give any details."

Axel grinned and began to recount the tale of how his amazing scavenger hunt for Riku lead him to a helpless little boy trying to cook and how said little boy had no chance of finishing without Axel's amazing pepper-washing skills.

XXXX

Cloud mindlessly drove around, with no particular destination in mind. All he knew was he was NOT going back home for a while, until they all calmed down. He tried guessing who Axel could have coerced into being his boyfriend, but quickly gave up that train of thought. He glanced around and realized he was two blocks from work so he shrugged and guided his bike in that direction, pulling into the Rusty Wrench a few minutes later and killing the engine, taking off his helmet, and glancing around.

"Hey, Cloud." Xigbar said, looking up from the desk on the other side of the garage, where he was reading a book. Pausing, he glanced at the calendar behind him, "Are you even on tonight?"

"No, I'm not." Cloud said, getting completely off his bike and striding over to the desk. "Roommates were becoming a pain. Just needed somewhere to go." The blonde said, shrugging and sitting down across from Xigbar.

Xigbar nodded in understanding, "Ahh, okay. Axel again?"

Cloud sighed, raking a gloved hand through his overly gelled hair. "Of course - who else is capable of causing that much chaos?"

Xigbar laughed, nodding and shutting his book, "Well, spend as much time here as you want. Nothing's going on tonight as far as I know."

As if they'd been waiting for a cue, the front door of the Rusty Wrench slammed open and two guys walked into the garage.

"Fuckin' asshole. Gonna kill me." Seifer muttered, sending a glare at his brunette friend.

"Maybe if you didn't go off grabbing the wheel while I'm driving, I wouldn't have almost driven the car off the road." Leon glared at his friend.

"I wouldn't have needed to grab the wheel if you weren't about to drive off the road!" Seifer snapped.

"Hi guys." Xigbar rolled his eyes.

Cloud shot his coworker a look. "You know these guys?" He asked, eyeing the newcomers.

"Oh, yeah." Xigbar said, "Cloud, this is Leon and Seifer. They're two of my friends, and I'm pretty sure they were married in a past life."

Hearing this, both boys redirected their anger at their other friend, who put his hands up in innocence, a smirk on his face. "Leon, Seifer, this is Cloud. He works here too."

Cloud gave a small wave as the attention of the two snapped to him. "Yeah, hi."

"Hey." Seifer smiled.

Leon just acknowledged him with a nod, before walking over to sit on the hood of the resident rust bucket that had NEVER left the shop. Xigbar had his doubts about the car's ability to start, never mind drive away, and apparently so had the owner, because it had been dropped off three years ago and never picked up.

"Hey, I wouldn't sit on that thing if I was you. Made that mistake myself when I was first hired. Never did get the stains outta the ass of my jeans." Cloud said, smirking at Leon.

"Eh, they're old pants and I'm too lazy to move." Leon shrugged.

Cloud shrugged. "Your loss." He turned his attention back to Xigbar. "Anyway, if you want me to go...?"

"Nah, no worries." Xigbar shrugged, "Leon and Seifer will find something to argue about in a minute and they'll be able to amuse themselves that way."

Seifer rolled his eyes, "We don't a-"

"Yes you do." Xigbar cut him off, "Yes you do and you've even argued about that."

Seifer opened his mouth to protest, but apparently thought better of it and shut it without saying anything.

Xigbar smirked, victorious.

Cloud grinned, enjoying the banter. "Well, then. I'm gonna work on my bike." With that, he took off his leather jacket, revealing his muscle tee underneath, and strode across the garage to his parked bike, guiding it over to his work station.

Leon looked over at him, "Nice bike." he nodded in appreciation.

Seifer snorted, glancing at Xigbar, "Think he's admiring the bike or Cloud's body?" he asked in a voice too low for either of the other boys to hear.

"Hmm... Tough call." Xigbar said, watching the two. After a pause, he pulled his wallet out, "Twenty bucks says they're together by Christmas."

"Easter." Seifer shook his head, "Leon's not gonna take the initiative."

"You're on." Xigbar nodded, smirking.

Seifer nodded, shaking his friend's hand and redirecting his attention to the subject of their bet.

Tuning out everyone else in the room, Cloud focused on his bike. He crouched down and lovingly ran his hand along its side, admiring the kick-ass flame paint job his roommates had gotten him for his birthday last year. He sighed almost inaudibly, then began to check the chains and oil, cleaning everything thoroughly with the utmost care.

Leon occupied himself with watching Cloud, not really concerned with the fact that he was technically staring and trying his best not to turn around and snap at Xigbar and Seifer, who were doing their best (aka horrible) impressions of Leon and Cloud's current situation in voices hushed enough that Cloud couldn't hear them but Leon could.

He settled for turning and glaring to let the two know his annoyance, but the only thing that did was make them continue with satisfied smirks on their faces.

Cloud wiped his brow and stood up. "Hey." He said, getting the attention of the other three. "I'm gonna get a drink - anybody want?" He asked, heading over to the door to the break room.

"Nah, I'm good." Xigbar said. Seifer was trying to hold in his amusement at almost being caught and failing, shaking his head because he knew that if he opened his mouth he would end up laughing hysterically.

Xigbar punched him lightly, rolling his eyes.

"Right..." Cloud said, shaking his head at the two. "What about you? Leon, right?"

"Yeah." Leon nodded, "And I'm alright."

Cloud nodded and disappeared into the break room, returning moments later with two cans of soda. "All right - one of you has to take this. If I'm gonna steal Cid's drinks, I might as well finish what's in there." He said, smirking and waving the can around.

Xigbar chuckled, "Pass it."

Cloud smirked and tossed the drink to Xigbar, making sure to give it a few more waves first. He cracked his own can open and grinned, waiting for the explosion.

Xigbar was oblivious to the extra shaking being done to the can and popped it open right after he caught it. Unfortunately, all the extra shaking meant that as soon as the can popped open, bubbles and foam exploded out at him and Seifer, soaking them in carbonation.

Cloud's grin widened impossibly, and he fought back his laughter in order to say: "You know, next time you should really save your chitchat for when I'm NOT in the room."

Leon laughed, "I'm glad you did it, 'cause otherwise I'd have just kicked their asses later, and your method was all the more satisfying."

Cloud turned to him, still grinning, and winked. "No problem. It was my pleasure." With that, the blonde sauntered back over to his work station, placing his drink down and reevaluating his bike.

XXXX

Hi guys! Cami here. Here's the next chapter of The Day That Some Things Happened, and we hope you enjoyed it! A little shorter than last time, but whateverrrrr.

So, who do you guys think will win the bet? I think you should all guess in reviews.

I'm not coherent enough to make an author's note now, so I'm just gonna email this to Jasmine and let her post it. Later!


	3. Zexion Is The Only Responsible One

Hi guys! Jasmine and Cami here! We are so sorry this update took forever to get out - both of us have been swamped with schoolwork but hopefully the updates will come a lot quicker now that the summer is rapidly approaching! Thanks so much to all those who are reading and reviewing - you guys are awesome! We're so glad you love our craziness!

We do not own Kingdom Hearts - we just borrow the characters. :)

XXXX

Larxene jumped as she heard Axel's bedroom door slam, and sat up on the couch, "Axel?"

The redhead ignored her, crossing to the fridge and opening that, pulling out the (rather expansive) collection of alcohol that they kept on the top shelf and dropping it all on the counter.

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have work in the morning?"

Axel turned to her, "Do I look like I care?"

"Not really." she shrugged, "What's the occasion?"

Axel just tossed her a beer and headed down the hall to knock on Zexion and Cloud's doors.

"I think Cloud might still be out." Larxene said, swinging herself off the couch and leaning on the back of it.

"Axel, what the hell?" Zexion yelled as he was forcibly dragged out of his room. "I was reading!"

Cloud poked his head out of his room. "What's going on?"

"I'm getting drunk." Axel answered, "Larxene never passes up an opportunity to act like a moron, and I'm not going to start drinking without offering some to you two."

Larxene popped open her can, a knowing look in her eyes, "Figured out he's not your boyfriend?"

Axel turned to glare, "Shut up."

She laughed, "I could've told you that three hours ago and saved you the crash."

Cloud shrugged and left his room, smart enough to close the door behind him to ward off any drunken stumblings later, before heading to grab a beer off the counter and returning to the living room to stand next to Larxene. "So wait, you don't have a boyfriend?"

Zexion rolled his eyes. "Well, if you all insist on getting drunk, I guess I should stay sober to make sure you don't kill anyone or each other. And he thought he had a boyfriend before realizing that spending a few hours with someone does not automatically mean they are now in a romantic relationship with you."

"You all suck." Axel glared.

"Tonight we drink to our oh-so illustrious love lives." Larxene said, raising her can.

Cloud smirked and clinked his can to Larxene's before taking a large sip. Zexion rolled his eyes but went into the kitchen to grab a can of soda so he could join in the toast.

"You're all going to be in pain tomorrow." He muttered.

Cloud just laughed. "That's half the fun!"

"Besides," Larxene grinned, "With us drinking, there's no way you're getting any sleep tonight."

XXXX

.

"WHAT THE FUCK AXEL FIND THE GOD DAMN PHONE!"

"I'M TRYING, SHUT UP!"

.

"Got it!" Axel said, flipping it open without thinking, before realizing it was NOT his phone, it was Zexion's. The younger boy must have left it in the living room after everyone else had passed out the night before.

He could just barely hear someone shouting Zexion's name from the phone and lifted it to his ear, "Hang on a sec." he muttered.

Axel groaned as the voice on the other line began to yell at him and rubbed his temple. Larxene snatched the phone from him and stomped down the hallway, throwing open Zexion's door, "Zex! Phone! Here!"

Zexion groaned and was just lifting his head from his pillow when something small and hard smacked him in the forehead as the door slammed. "Ow! Larxene, what the hell? Oh. Um. Hello? Zexion speaking."

He paused, listening to the frantic yelling. "Wait, wait. Slow down. What? What? Oh god, what time does the class start? WHAT? Shit, yeah, yeah. I'll be right there. You owe me." With that Zexion hung up and groaned before forcing himself up out of the bed. He dressed quickly, grabbed his old backpack stuffed with the things he'd need just for an emergency like this, and rushed out of his bedroom. "Gotta go, be back later, don't kill anyone!"

Larxene just groaned and buried her head in one of the couch cushions.

XXXX

"Hey, Dem." A black haired girl slung an arm over her blonde friend's shoulders and grinned at him, "I'm thinking of throwing a party this weekend. Wanna help?"

Demyx raised an eyebrow, "Don't your parents have that big, important meeting this weekend?"

"Yes they do." she smiled, "And thus they will do just about anything to get me to promise that I won't mess it up for them."

Demyx rolled his eyes. "You're taking advantage of your parents."

"They're used to it." Yuffie shrugged. "So?"

"Yeah, I guess." Demyx shrugged, "Sounds like fun."

She grinned, "Awesome. Now come on, we're gonna be late to Chem."

Zexion walked quickly down the halls. He did not run; that would be unprofessional. However, he was walking as quickly as possible without actually running in order to make it to the class he was supposed to be teaching in time. _Why didn't Principal Marluxia call him earlier to give him more time? _He thought angrily.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Zexion entered the chemistry lab mere seconds before the bell rang. He placed his backpack down on the teacher's desk and cleared his throat, facing the mass of students who were taking their seats at their assigned lab tables.

"Good morning. Mr. Xaldin will not be in today; I will be covering this class for him instead. You may call me Zexion. Can anyone tell me what you are currently learning about?"

Yuffie ignored him, "There's no way you're a teacher."

"_Yuffie_!" Demyx hissed, "Shut up."

"He looks like he's ten!"

"I'm eighteen." Zexion said stiffly. Ignoring the murmurs and stares, he dug a bag of Cheetos out of his backpack and proceeded to calmly open to bag and take out one of the orange sticks. Going over to his demonstration table, he quickly pulled on the appropriate apron and goggles before starting the Bunsen burner while placing the Cheeto on a piece of cork board and pinning it there.

"Yuffie, was it? Thank you so much for volunteering. Today we will be learning about specific heat. Oh, and just so that we are all clear. I am the substitute teacher for today. I'd really hate to have to call Principal Marluxia down here to prove it and assign the entire class detention, but I will if I have to. I graduated from college - yes, college - last year. My IQ is three figures and larger than several of yours combined. Yuffie? We don't have all day. Kindly place your tongue back inside your mouth, put on your proper protective gear, and aid me in this demonstration." Zexion said, all with a completely serious, no-nonsense look on his face despite the fact he was wearing a lab apron and goggles which flattened his hair to his skull.

Yuffie glanced at Demyx before standing up and walking over to Zexion, muttering under her breath about stupid teachers and their stupid Cheetos.

XXXX

Yuffie let some of her anger go as soon as she realized that they were literally lighting Cheetos on fire for class that day. She didn't LIKE Zexion, but she didn't hate his guts anymore either.

"I don't get how your entire opinion of someone can change based on whether they let you light things on fire or not." Demyx rolled his eyes.

Yuffie waved one of her Cheetos in his face, and the blonde laughed, pushing back in his chair to get away from the artificial orange cheese.

Zexion nodded his head encouragingly at a lab group before making his way over to where Yuffie was waving Cheetos in the face of some blonde kid.

"I believe you are supposed to be determining the specific heat of each Cheeto instead of waving them in your lab partner's face." He said, frowning at the girl. He had a feeling she was one of those people he would just never get along with.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow, "We've got one burning." she said, "Until it's ashes, we can't really do anything else."

Demyx snatched the Cheeto out of her hand, kicking her under the table, "Sorry." he mumbled to the teacher, putting the Cheeto down and glaring at his friend, who rolled her eyes.

Zexion raised his eyebrow at the antics while thinking to himself that the boy in front of him had very vivid eyes. "What is your name? I am trying to learn all of the students' names as I don't know how long I will be teaching this class until Mr. Xaldin returns."

"Huh? Oh, I'm Demyx." he said, "I'll try and keep Yuffie out of trouble." he smiled.

Zexion allowed himself to briefly smile back at Demyx before he nodded and headed over to the next table of students who were in danger of lighting themselves on fire as well as their Cheetos.

XXXX

Riku stifled a sigh as he entered the Box Depot. Sora had convinced him that he should probably show up to work every once in a while if he didn't want another close call like the other day. He smiled at the person behind the register even though he had absolutely no idea who the hell it was as he quickly made his way into the Employees Only area in order to clock in. He punched his time card and was just pulling his apron with his name tag pinned to it on when the door opened behind him.

Axel walked in, rubbing his head and looking up to see who was already there, "Oh, hey Riku." he muttered, crossing over to clock in.

Riku blinked. Then he blinked again. Nope, Axel was still there, clocking in. Which meant that he had somehow beaten the redhead to work.

"You okay?" Riku asked, skeptical that this was even happening and he wasn't dreaming at this very moment. (Although, if he was dreaming, why he wasn't dreaming of his sexy Sora instead was beyond him.)

"Headache." Axel grumbled, "Need coffee. Don't want to be here."

"Ahh. Too much partying last night?" Riku asked, quickly crossing the back room to the coffee pot and starting up a fresh pot.

"If you consider drinking with my roommates partying, then yes." Axel said, leaning against the wall, "If I hadn't skipped out the other day when I was supposed to be firing you, I would've called out."

"Okay then. And hey, thanks for that, by the way. I owe you one." Riku said, handing the redhead a fresh cup of coffee as well as offering him a smile. Since he hardly ever came into work, he didn't really know Axel that well, but could tell he was basically a good guy.

"Thanks." Axel said, raising an eyebrow, "Is my not firing you prompting this, or are you typically not an asshole?"

"I like to think that I'm not an asshole, but I'd be lying if the whole not-firing-me-and-covering-for-my-ass thing didn't play a factor." Riku responded with a grin.

Axel chuckled, "Thanks, then." he said, raising the coffee cup and taking a sip before leaning his head back against the wall and sighing. "So," he said, eyeing his coworker as an idea began to formulate in his head, "How close are you with that Sora guy?"

Riku stood there for a moment just staring at Axel. "Well... he's my best friend." He answered carefully.

Axel raised an eyebrow, wondering if there was more to the question he asked, "So, you know his brother pretty well too, then?"

"Roxas? Yeah, I guess. I mean, I'm pretty much always at their house." Riku answered, wondering why Axel was asking in the first place.

Axel smiled, "Great. Then you can make up for the whole not-firing-you thing by helping ME get to know Roxas." he said with a smirk, "Sound okay?"

"As a friend or something more? 'Cause I don't know how well Sora'd take it if I started trying to set up his brother with my much-older coworker." Riku said, eyeing Axel.

"I'm not going to answer that question." Axel shrugged, "That way, if it ever comes up in conversation, you have no idea."

Riku tilted his head. "What makes you think Roxas would be interested in being more than friends with a guy?"

Axel's face fell, "Oh."

Riku chuckled. "You fell hard, didn't you." He murmured, before putting his hand on Axel's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Since you don't seem like a self-centered jerk who wants to only use Roxas, I'll take pity on you and let you know that the kid is at the very least bisexual. He checks out more guys' asses than I do, and I'm 100% gay."

Axel chuckled, "Well, that's something, I guess." he said, "So... is that a 'yes, Axel, I'll help you'?"

"What the hell; sure, I'll help you." Riku said. He stepped up into Axel's personal space, looking him square in the eye. "But if you hurt him in any way, I'll have to kill you." Riku stepped back and got his own cup of coffee. "Okay? How about you come back to his house after work with me? Meet you back here at the end of your shift? Awesome, see you later Axel!" Riku grinned and left the break room.

Axel allowed himself a smile before wincing and cursing as his head began to throb once more.

XXXX

Well, what'd you think? By the way, in case anyone is wondering, the experiment that Zexion teaches is an actual experiment that I (Jasmine) have done before - it is an experiment on finding the specific heat of something.

Keep the guesses coming on who RP'd who and if you liked it (or even if you didn't) please review and let us know!

:)


	4. And This Is Why Roxas Does The Cooking

"Cloud, you around?" Xigbar called into the garage as he walked in, tossing his jacket onto a chair.

"Here." Cloud said from his position underneath his bike.

"Oh, there you are." Xigbar said, plopping down on top of his jacket, "You can take off on lunch whenever you want."

Cloud merely grunted, concentrating on his work. He was currently tuning his bike and while this latest set of modifications might not be exactly street legal, the bike would be kickass when he was done.

"Kay, well if you're not going anywhere, I'm gonna grab a drink. Want anything?" he asked, standing up again (and wondering why he'd sat down in the first place) and heading towards Cid's office.

"Soda'd be good." Nodding at his work, Cloud pushed himself out from under his bike and replaced his tools, grabbing his rag and wiping the grease off his hands, pushing himself into a sitting position.

Xigbar nodded, vanishing into Cid's office.

There was the sound of someone opening the shop door, "Hello?"

Cloud quickly stood up. "Just a sec!" He yelled in the general direction of the door. Dropping the rag and wiping the rest of the grease and oil onto his already stained pants, he maneuvered to the front of the shop.

"Welcome to the Rusty Wrench, I'm Cloud. How can I help you?"

"I was asked to drop this off here." The man said, holding up a package, "It's for a... Cloud."

"Huh." Cloud said, taking the small brown package. The box wasn't heavy and there was no writing on the wrapping. "Who's it from?" Cloud looked up from examining the package when he got no answer, realizing the guy who had given it to him had already left.  
Cautiously taking the package to his work bench, he debated with himself if he should open it or not. In the end, he shrugged and tore the wrapping, figuring if it was a prank it couldn't be THAT bad.

Once the wrapping was off, Cloud realized it was a box of chocolates. He pulled the lid off and grinned at the smell. Fancy chocolates. Yum. Inside the lid was a note. He pulled it off and quickly read it:  
"Cloud- I bet you'd taste more delicious than these chocolates. Care to let me find out? -Leon"  
Cloud blinked but shook his head when he heard Xigbar coming out of Cid's back room.

"Thanks for the chocolates, Xig. And no, I'm not sharing. Also, I think I'll take that lunch now." The blonde said.

His coworker blinked, "What are you talking about?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "We've worked together how long? Your voice has that tone you take with customers who are insisting that dent wasn't there before they brought their car in and you are trying to convince them otherwise. Fess up, I know it was you."

"Speaking of dents." Xigbar said, "I should get working on that car." he gestured off in the general direction of a dark blue car that had been brought in hours ago, "Weren't you gonna take lunch?"

Cloud chuckled, grabbing his keys and box of chocolates, deciding to walk to the corner deli for lunch. "Whatever you say, man. Thanks again!"

Once his coworker had gone, Xigbar leaned back against the rustbucket statue in the center of the garage and chuckled to himself. Well, that didn't work.

His amusement was interrupted by his cell phone going off. Pulling it out of his pocket, he flipped it open.

"_HOW THE HELL DID HE KNOW?"_

Xigbar winced, pulling the phone away from his ear, "I don't know, Seifer. I'm assuming things didn't go well with Leon?"

"_He handed the flowers to some freakin' random girl on the street before __thanking__ me and walking off like nothing had happened!"_

"Cloud enjoyed the chocolates, but he wasn't fooled into thinking it was Leon." Xigbar shrugged.

"_But this was foolproof!"_

"Apparently not. Leon knows us pretty well, and I guess I've worked with Cloud longer than I thought." Xigbar shrugged, "We'll come up with something else."

"_Yeah, but now they're gonna be on the lookout."_

"It'll be fine, Seifer." Xigbar chuckled, "I've gotta get back to work."

"_Oh, right. Well, before you go, what should I do if someone's stalking me?"_

Xigbar frowned, "What?"

"_There's a blonde kid stalking me."_ Seifer repeated, _"I seriously see him every single time I turn around."_

"You're imagining things, Seif." Xigbar laughed, "See you later." He flipped his phone shut and stood up to get to work.

XXXX

"Man, I wish we could hear what he's saying." Hayner grumbled from his position crouched in some bushes several feet away from his blonde stalker. He was thoroughly confused - if the guy was stalking him, why did he give flowers to some other dude? Does this mean he's definitely gay? But then why did the other guy give the flowers away? Was his stalker rejected? And who the hell was he talking to now?  
"I don't know, Olette. I think this is just making me even more confused. And nervous. I mean, what if he sees us?" Hayner whispered to his sister who was crouched right next to him.

"Calm down, Hayner, he's not gonna see us." Olette rolled her eyes, peeking over the bush at Seifer. "He's on the phone anyway."

"Okay, okay. But this so far hasn't shown us why he's stalking me. And hey, why isn't he looking for me? I mean, I'm hiding in a bush right now. Shouldn't he be looking for me?" Hayner asked, faced scrunched up as he tried to make his thoughts make sense. They sounded much better in his head.

Olette giggled, "You're thinking into it too much, Hayner. He's probably talking about you on the phone right now."

"You think so?" Hayner murmured, studying his stalker closer. "Oh, look, he's leaving!" Before he could get up to follow, however, Hayner heard a sarcastic voice say right behind him, "Do I even WANT to know what you guys are up to?"

Hayner jumped up and spun around. "Goddammit, Roxas! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Roxas rolled his eyes and offered his hand to Olette to help her up, looking them both over. "Well?"

"We're counter-stalking." Olette shrugged, taking Roxas's offered hand and standing up, "Stalking Hayner's stalker to try and figure out why he's stalking him."

Roxas blinked. "You were serious about that? Come on, Hayner! For the last time, that guy is NOT stalking you! If he was stalking you, he'd be the one hiding in bushes, not you!"

"Well, how do you KNOW he doesn't hide in bushes, huh?" Hayner asked, frustrated.

"Because... Because! Gah, you two are impossible!" Roxas said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I give up. Stalk your so-called stalker. Waste your time. Here's a thought: why don't you actually talk to the guy?"

"Rox, you are not grasping the very basic idea that he is a crazy STALKER. You don't talk to stalkers. You run away from them." Hayner explained, wondering how his friend could be so dense.

Roxas was equally frustrated. "Fine. You're right. What do I know?"  
Hayner grinned. "See, I told you I'm always right."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I'm ignoring you now. Olette, how are you? Having fun playing in the shrubbery? How were your classes today?"

"Oh, the bush is quite nice, thank you." Olette said, patting the shrub next to her fondly and giving Roxas a look, "Classes were fine as classes can be." she shrugged.

"That's nice. Are you all done for the day?" Roxas asked.

"Well, I still have practice - " Hayner started.  
"I was asking Olette. Ignoring you, remember?" Roxas interrupted. Hayner stuck his tongue out at the blonde and crossed his arms. Roxas rolled his eyes.

Olette giggled.

"As I was saying -" Roxas stopped abruptly as Hayner shoved him. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you talking to me?" Hayner asked sweetly.

Roxas growled. "You're going down!" With that, he launched himself at his best friend. Off balance, Hayner crashed to the ground, taking Roxas with him. They wrestled for a few moments, to the great amusement of Olette, before they were both out of breath and decided to call a truce. Standing, Hayner slung his arm over Roxas' shoulders and the shorter boy grinned.

"I knew you couldn't stay mad at me." Hayner said, grinning.

Roxas rolled his eyes but chuckled. "Yeah, well. I still think you're an idiot."

"And you're a moron, so we're even." Hayner deadpanned.

Roxas punched his shoulder and rolled his eyes as Hayner just grinned at him.

"Right. Anyway, I came to find you guys to let you know I'm heading home." Roxas said, shrugging Hayner's arm off and adjusting his ruffled clothes.

"Aww, okay." Olette said, "Lots of homework?"

Roxas shrugged. "Relatively. Not a lot, it's just that what I have is worth a lot of points so I have to do really good on the next few assignments if I want to pass. Plus I promised Sora I'd make some more cookies since he only got some raw dough from the last batch."

Hayner chuckled. "Have fun with all that. See you tomorrow?"

Roxas grinned. "Of course!"

Olette smiled, "See you tomorrow!"

Roxas smiled and waved before turning and making his way across campus. He pulled out his cell phone and called his brother, slowing down his walking as he listened to Sora's phone ring.

"_Hello hello. This is Kairi, answering for Sora who's being an asshole and not coming to the phone! How can I help you?"_

"Um.. Hi Kairi. Sorry, wasn't expecting you to answer. Where is Sora? I need a ride home." Roxas said, stopping altogether now in order to pay attention to his brother's friend.

"_I think he might be in the shower." _Kairi answered lazily, _"Hold on a sec."_ There was the muffled sounds of Kairi covering the phone's earpiece, _"SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

Roxas quickly yanked his cell phone away from his ear. Once the screeching stopped, he tentatively held it back in place. "Um, Kairi?"

"_Yeah?"_

"Did you find him or should I start walking home?"

"_No worries, I found him. You're at the school?"_

"Yeah. I'm making my way to the little garden area by the theater. Tell Sora to park there, I'll be reading on one of the benches, probably. Thanks, Kairi."

"_No problem."_ There was a click and Kairi hung up.

Roxas put his cell away before shaking his head and making his way over to where he'd get picked up by Sora. Sighing as he saw that the area was empty for the moment, he gratefully sat down and tilted his head up to the sky, watching the clouds lazily and thinking over what exactly he had to get done tonight.

XXXX

He was still there when Sora pulled up a few minutes later, looking either angry or annoyed, most likely due to Kairi, who was sitting in the passenger's side seat, holding a cell phone open for him.

"What do you mean, you're stranded at the Box Depot?" Sora snapped at his phone, "Your car was working fine this morning!"

"_Soooora." _Riku whined over the phone. _"You know my car hates me. Come on, pretty please give me a ride? Oh, and my coworker. He needs a ride too. Pleeeease?"_

"Are we talking about the coworker that was sent to fire you a few days ago?" Sora asked, rolling down his window, "ROXAS! Come on, kid!"

Roxas jumped and quickly looked around, easily spotting an angry looking Sora and a giggling Kairi waiting for him in Sora's car. Sighing, he quickly grabbed his stuff and got into the car just in time to hear someone talking on Sora's cell phone.

"_Axel? Yeah. Turns out that whole 'firing' thing was a misunderstanding. Guy's great! So you'll be here soon, right? It's practically your duty as my best friend. Right, best friend? Best, awesome, funny, amazing friend? Right?"  
_  
Roxas sighed. "Now you have to get him or he'll never let you live it down."  
_  
"Roxas?"_ Riku asked. _"You're with Sora? Great! Convince him to come get me!" _He pleaded.

"Ugh, FINE." Sora said, "I'll be there in ten minutes. But do me a favor and get your car fixed for real this time, okay?"

"_Yes! Thanks, Sora. You're the best! I promise I'll take it to the Rusty Wrench as soon as possible. Thank you thank you thank you! We'll be waiting outside for you!" _With that Riku hung up.

Roxas chuckled in the backseat. "So who's the 'we'? We picking up someone else besides Riku? Oh, and thanks for the relaying the message, Kairi. You guys got here pretty fast."

"Your house isn't far from here." Kairi shrugged, "But no problem."

"Apparently Riku being stranded means his coworker Axel is stranded as well." Sora said, "You want me to drop you off before I pick them up, or do you mind them squeezing into the back with you?"

Roxas shrugged. "You might as well just get them now. Going back to the house to drop me off is heading in the opposite direction, anyways. I'm sure we'll fit for the ten minute ride home."

"Alright." Sora nodded, pulling onto the street.

XXXX

Riku nudged the redhead standing next to him. "Look, here they come." Once the car stopped in front of the Box Depot, Riku leaned down to the driver's side window.

"Sora! You're the best! Have I mentioned lately how awesome you are?" He said, grinning.

"Just get in the back." Sora rolled his eyes, "Hey, Axel." he nodded.

"Thanks again, Sora." Axel smiled, pushing Riku towards the backseat door.

Riku rolled his eyes but grinned once he saw who was sitting in the backseat. He pulled open the car door and bowed to Axel, motioning for him to get in. "Hey, Kairi. Hey, Roxas." He smirked, nudging the redhead to get a move on and get into the car already.

Axel didn't protest, climbing into the car and squeezing in next to Roxas. Before he could speak up, though, Kairi did. "Hey, Riku, tell Sora he's a baby that takes too long in the shower and makes me answer his phone calls from his brother for him."

Riku managed to get in after Axel and closed the car door, spreading his legs a bit in order to press Axel up against Roxas. Grinning, he shook his head at the girl in the front seat. "I can't insult him for at least twenty-four hours since he's doing me a favor. Sorry, Kairi."

"Kairi, I can confirm that Sora is indeed a baby that takes too long in the shower." Roxas said, sticking his tongue out at his older brother. "Sorry, Sora. But it's true. You shower longer than a girl!"

"I knew it!" Kairi smirked, laughing. Sora glared at her, only taking his eyes off the road for a second. Roxas grimaced as the next turn the car made forced him to press closer to Axel.

"Sorry, Axel. How have you been?" Roxas asked, trying to plaster himself against the car door in order to allow more room for the three squished in the backseat, ignoring Riku's muffled chuckles.

"I've been good." Axel smiled at him. "You?"

"All right, I guess. I've somehow managed to survive without your amazing food prepping skills." Roxas teased with a grin.

Riku glanced across Axel at the small blonde. Was he... flirting? Huh. Axel might have a chance, after all. "Speaking of food, you cooking tonight Roxas?" He asked hopefully.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Why is it no one else is capable of cooking a decent meal?" He demanded.

"In that case, mind if I stay for dinner?" Kairi laughed, "I'd rather eat Roxas's cooking than Namine's."

"Namine's not a bad cook." Sora said.

"You've only eaten her cooking once, Sora, and she ordered it. All she had to do was not burn it when she heated it up." Kairi reminded him.

"Fine! I'll cook!" Roxas threw his hands up then crossed his arms and glared out the window.

"Uh... Rox, you okay over there?" Riku asked tentatively.

"Peachy." Roxas snapped.

Kairi didn't even seem to notice Roxas's sudden annoyance at the situation and flipped the radio on.

"Am I assuming everyone's coming over for dinner then?" Sora asked, glancing into the backseat for a moment.

"I'd love to." Riku responded.

"Of course you would. You just want to get into my brother's pants." Roxas angrily muttered.

"What was that, Roxas?" Riku asked, confused but knowing the muttering was somehow directed towards him.

"Nothing." Roxas said, smiling sweetly. "And I suppose you want to stay for dinner, too?" He asked the redhead squished next to him.

Axel looked a little startled, "Uh, is that okay?" he asked, "I'd like to, but I don't wanna make you mad."

"It's fine. Why not? What's one more person to cook for? It's not like I had anything important to get done tonight." Roxas seethed.

"Rox, if you don't want to cook, just say so." Sora said, glancing back there again, "We can order something."

Roxas took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "It's fine. I'll cook. We can't keep ordering out all the time, it's unhealthy and expensive. I'll just have to cut something - looks like I'm not baking those cookies tonight."

"Aw man, you were gonna bake cookies? Axel, you have not lived until you've had one of Roxas' cookies. They are heaven." Riku said, drooling at the thought.

"Well, at least let me help you with the cooking, then." Axel suggested, ignoring Riku.

Roxas glanced at the redhead in surprise before nodding slowly. "Really? Thanks. This time, though, let's try not to maim anyone with butcher knives."

"Alright, I promise." Axel laughed.

XXXX

Oh Axel. Try your hardest not to maim anyone.

Hi guys! Cami here. It's summer break now, so Jasmine and I have more time to write, so expect these to speed up soon. :D We're kind of addicted to this story. It's actually a little creepy.

Jasmine: Hey, where are you?

Cami: At the mall. Why?

Jasmine: I wanna write.

Cami: Okay, when I get home.

Jasmine: No, I wanna write now.

Cami: …But I'm at the mall.

Jasmine: WRITE. NOW.

Cami: MALL.

Jasmine: I DON'T CARE. WRITE.

Cami: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO, MAGICALLY POOF AN INTERNET CONNECTION AND A LAPTOP INTO THE MALL?

Jasmine: That'll work.

Cami: You're ridiculous.

Jasmine: :P But seriously, can we write?

Cami: *facepalm*

And that, folks, is a heavily exaggerated version of a true story.

Next chapter, expect to see maiming! Or something like that.


	5. When Kairi Loses Things

Hi all! Jasmine here! I hope you are all as excited to read this next chapter as I am to post it! We are writing quite a lot so the updates should become fairly regular and not so spaced out! Yay!

…And since Cami never includes the disclaimer in her author's notes, here it is: We don't own Kingdom Hearts.

XXXX

"Well, you're coming in pretty late." Larxene raised an eyebrow as Axel walked into the apartment.

"Sorry, I didn't know I had a curfew." Axel said, giving her a look, "Riku's car broke down, so we ended up at his friend's house for dinner."

"Uh, Ax? You drove to work." Larxene said, "You took my car, and drove to work. So, Riku's car breaking down should not affect your method of travel home."

"Riku's friend happens to be Roxas's older brother." Axel told her.

Pieces clicked into place. "Ahhh, I see." Larxene smirked, "So, where's my car?"

"Still in the Box Depot parking lot." Axel said, "I'll grab it for you tomorrow, don't worry."

"And if I need it tomorrow?"

"Well, we'll figure it out somehow." Axel shrugged, "Cloud can give you a ride or something."

"Oh, hey Axel. Larxene." Cloud said as he made his way into their house, keys in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other.

Larxene glanced over, "Who are the chocolates from, Cloud?" she asked in an obviously-I'm-trying-to-tease-you voice.

Cloud grinned. "Xigbar."

"Your coworker gave you chocolates?" Larxene raised an eyebrow, "He's the one with the black hair, right? I guess he's cute."

"Okay, one: it's a little creepy that you find Xigbar 'cute'. And two, he had them delivered to me as a joke. Him and his friend Seifer have gotten into their thick skulls that their other friend Leon and I are meant for each other. They have a bet going on whether we'll hook up by Christmas or Easter." Cloud said, rolling his eyes.

"Leon?" Larxene asked, "Like my boss Leon?"

"I have no idea. He's about my height, brown hair, blue eyes, kinda quiet and a little lazy. He was at the shop the other day and before you ask, yes there is some kind of attraction there, but he seems way too laid back to do anything about it. That's how I knew there was no way these chocolates were from him. Besides, chocolates? That's so corny." Cloud explained, slipping his sneakers off and plopping onto the couch.

"Yep, that's my boss." Larxene said, leaning forward on the counter, looking like she was deep in thought.

Axel raised an eyebrow, "Well, if he's too laid back to do anything about it, why don't you?"

Cloud shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't seem all that interested. Plus it looked like he was involved with Xigbar's other friend, Seifer. And even if they aren't, I don't want to walk into a cluster-fuck of drama. Plus, I'm kinda curious how far Xig will take these pranks. Here, look at the card he sent." Cloud snorted as he threw the card to Axel.

"Didn't you say Seifer was in on the bet?" Larxene asked, "Why would he bet how long it would take his boyfriend to hook up with another guy?"

Axel caught the card and snickered as he read it over, passing it to Larxene.

Cloud just shrugged again. "Maybe they aren't together any more? Either way I don't want to cause shit by making a move. I hardly know the guy, anyway. I'm not looking for a fuckbuddy."

"You aren't going to know the guy until you get to know him." Larxene shrugged, "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"I guess." Cloud said, frowning as he thought about it. "But I bet Xigbar is also sending him pranks with my name attached to them. I kinda wanna know his reaction to those first. Hell, I'm not even 100% sure he's gay."

"Either way, don't rule it out so fast." Larxene winked, hopping off her stool, "I'm getting some sleep. Cloud, any chance you can give me a ride to work tomorrow? Axel left my car at the Box Depot."

"Sure. What time do you need to be there? I have the day off." Cloud said, taking the note he had gotten with the chocolates back from where it had been dropped and tucking it back into the box. He wanted to keep it for future blackmail against Xigbar.

"I start at noon." Larxene said, "Thanks, Cloud!" with that, she headed down the hall to her room.

XXXX

"Larxene, you ready to go?" Cloud yelled as he made his way into the kitchen from his room to grab a bottle of water before they headed out. His phone vibrated in his pants pocket and he frowned, taking it out and realizing he had one missed call. Shrugging, he had just started to play the voicemail when Larx stepped out of her room.

"Yep, I'm ready." Larxene nodded, walking into the room, an earring in one hand, slipping it in and grabbing a can of soda from the fridge, "Who's on the phone?"

Cloud almost dropped his cell. His eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. He barely registered Larxene's presence, too stunned by the voice message he was listening to:

"_Cloud Strife, this is your lucky day. We here at Sandy & Miles - S&M for short, cutie - are ready to please. Our skilled operators are standing by for you to activate your subscription - we have all ages and genders, so your pleasure is guaranteed! Call today to live your wildest fantasies and explode with an experience you'll never forget!"_

When the message stopped, Cloud slowly pulled his cell away from his ear and stared at it as if the machine was possessed and about to attack him at any given minute.

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Cloud? You in there?" She waved a hand in front of the blonde's face. "Oh shit, I think I broke him."

"Xigbar's flipped his lid!" Cloud suddenly exploded, thrusting his cell at Larxene. "He's gone batshit crazy! I-I-I...arg! I'm gonna kick his ass! This goes way beyond a simple prank! Just listen to the message so that we can go kill my coworker before your shift starts!"

Larxene raised an eyebrow, taking the phone and listening to the message. As it finished, she burst into laughter, "Your coworker is officially amazing!" she smirked at Cloud, "I'll call Leon and tell him I'll be a little late. Let's go kick his ass."

XXXX

"Xigbar!" An extremely pissed off Cloud yelled, striding purposely into The Rusty Wrench, Larxene in tow. He maneuvered quickly through the tools and spare parts and general piles of junk cluttering the shop until he came to where his coworker was leaning up against one of their repair jobs, apparently take a break.

"You are sick. The chocolates, I get. A cute, harmless prank. Even the bet, I get to some extent. Gotta spice up life, right? But the subscription to phone sex? What the hell is wrong with you? You better have a real good answer to that question, or you'll be waking up three weeks from now black and blue in a hospital bed!" Cloud growled, fists clenched, giving his coworker a look that had knocked out weaker men.

Xigbar apparently did have a good answer to the question, "Seifer did it." he said, grabbing a magazine off the roof off the car he was supposed to be working on and tossing it over, "I subscribed Leon to that."

Cloud took one look at the magazine he had just caught and threw it to the ground, disgusted. It was one of those horribly trashy sex magazines, and this one's cover boldly proclaimed: _"Sex on the Beach has never Tasted So Good! Details inside!"_

"Seifer, huh? How convenient." Cloud muttered, before forcing the tension to leave his fists. "Looks like I won't be kicking your ass today, after all; if you really subscribed Leon to that trash, your days are already numbered anyway."

"Leon won't kill me." Xigbar laughed, "That's the genius behind me pranking him instead of you. He's not going to believe that Seifer didn't do it. So either way, Seifer gets beaten up. I'm just avoiding him beating me up." he shrugged, "So, who's your friend?"

Larxene walked up beside Cloud, "I'm Larxene." she said, "Xigbar, right?"

"That'd be me." Xigbar nodded, holding out a hand for Larxene to shake. Larxene took it, shaking, and when Xigbar pulled his hand back, he there was a piece of paper in it. Larxene just winked and stepped back to glance around the shop for a clock.

Finally finding one, she shrugged, "You're one of Leon's roommates, right? Think you can convince him not to fire me when I'm late?"

"You work for Leon?" Xigbar asked, surprised, ignoring the slip of paper in his hand.

"Yeah." Larxene said, "For now. But if I'm late again, I'm not so sure. And since it's pretty much your fault that Cloud needed to stop here before dropping me off..."

"Seifer's fault." Xigbar corrected.

"Either way." Larxene shrugged.

"We've still got five minutes before you're late - and it's my fault for not dropping you off first. Sorry, Larx. Don't worry, though. With those new upgrades I made, the bike'll get you there on time." Cloud said with a grin of pride and mischief. "Oh, and Xigbar!" Cloud called over his shoulder as he started for the exit, "I won't forget to let Leon know that he has you to thank for his new reading material! See you later!"

Larxene winked at Xigbar once again before running to catch up with Cloud. Once they were gone, Xigbar pulled the piece of paper out of his hand, reading it.

_I'll double whatever you and Seifer put down on this Cloud and Leon thing. They'll be together by Halloween. - Larxene_

XXXX

"Hey, Namine!" Kairi called up the stairs of her and her twin sister's house. "Have you seen my black boots?"

Namine sighed and walked out of her bedroom and stood at the hallway landing, looking down at Kairi. "No, I haven't. Honestly, you need to take better care of your things, Kairi!"

"Oh, come ON, Nam." Kairi whined, "I take perfectly good care of my shoes. I just don't know where I put them!"

Namine rolled her eyes. "Have you checked by both the front and back doors? And in your bedroom? And your closet?"

"Check check check..." Kairi paused for a second, "And check. Yes I did."

"Hmmm... Could you have left them at Sora's?" Namine asked, running out of ideas as to where her sister had abandoned her boots this time.

"I guess it's possible..." Kairi said, "I guess I'll give him a call." she grabbed her phone, speed dialing Sora, "Can you check your room for me?"

Namine sighed but nodded, heading back into her room to look even though she KNEW the boots wouldn't be in there. Kairi's fashion sense was... unique, and as her twin, Namine often found herself wondering how some crazy combination could look so stunning on Kairi and so awful on herself. This resulted in the blonde rarely borrowing any type of clothing from the vibrant redhead.

XXXX

"Hey, Sora, it's Kairi." Kairi leaned against the back of the couch, itching to find her boots.

"_My phone still rings as you shouting for me to find my phone when you call, Kai."_ Sora's voice answered, "_I know who it is."_

"Smartass, you love that ringtone." Kairi rolled her eyes, "Anyway, are my black boots are your place?"

Sora paused, _"Uhh... I have no idea. Want me to look around?"_

"If you don't mind." Kairi smiled, "I'm kind of at a loss as to what other shoes to wear. Plus, I really love those boots."

Sora laughed, _"I'll look around and call you back."_

"Sounds good! Thanks!" Kairi grinned. Sora hung up, and she did the same, heading back over to the stairs and shouting up, "Find anything, Namine?"

"Sorry, Kairi. I didn't." Namine responded, coming back out of her room and leaning on the stair railing, looking down at her sister.

Kairi frowned, "Sora's looking. I hope he finds them, 'cause if he doesn't, I have no other ideas."

Namine frowned. "Want to borrow a pair of my shoes? Maybe you should try retracing your steps to find out where you put them."

"I have other shoes." Kairi frowned, "I just really want my boots back. I'll see if Sora found anything first."

As if on cue, her phone rang. She quickly pulled it out.

"_Kairi, why were your boots hanging from Roxas's ceiling fan?"_

Kairi blinked, "OH. I put them up there as a joke to see if Roxas would notice. Did he?"

"_I'm assuming so, since he knew where they were when I asked if he'd seen them. Can you come over and grab them?"_

"Yep! Thanks so much, Sora!"

"_Yeah, no problem. See you."_ There was a click, and he hung up.

"So I take it Sora found them?" Namine asked.

"Yes he did." Kairi said, "I'm gonna head over and pick them up, you wanna come?" Kairi asked, walking up the stairs to grab some other shoes from her room.

"Sure!" Namine said, quickly grabbing a jacket from her room and throwing on a pair of sneakers before heading down the stairs to the door, making sure to grab her keys, too.

Kairi pulled on some sandals and grabbed her own keys, quickly heading down the stairs.

Namine opened the door for her sister, quickly locking and closing it behind them. The pair walked down the street to Sora's house. Namine admired the changing color of the leaves around them, before realizing that it would be Halloween soon. Thinking about what she would do this year, she didn't notice they had arrived until she walked into Kairi.

Kairi glanced over her shoulder to make sure her sister was okay before knocking (more like pounding) on Sora's front door.

A minute later, he opened the door, giving her a look, "Really?"

"Really what?" Kairi asked, putting an innocent voice on.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Hi, Namine."

Namine grinned. "Hi, Sora. May we come in?"

Someone inside the house shouted, "Who's at the door?"

"It's Kairi and Namine!" Sora called back, stepping out of the doorway to let them in, "Get your lazy ass out here, Riku!"

Grumbling about pushy brunettes, Riku made his way into the entryway just as Sora was shutting the door behind the twins. "Hey, Kairi. Namine. What're you guys doing here?"

"I left my boots here." Kairi said, disappearing up the stairs to find them. Sora just shook his head.

Namine sighed and shook her head. "Hi, Riku. How are you doing?"

Riku gave her a small, genuine smile. "I'm doing my best to hang in there, Nami. What about you?"

"Fine, thanks. Rooting for you, of course." Namine said with a chuckle, squeezing Riku's shoulder as she passed him on her way to the stairs, calling out to her sister: "Kairi? Did you find them?"

"Yep!" Kairi grinned, walking down the stairs with her black boots on, "I love these things."

"Then stop leaving them here." Sora rolled his eyes.

"She wouldn't be my sister if she didn't lose her favorite things at least twice a day." Namine stated with a grin.

Riku laughed and swung his arm over Sora's shoulders. "You two ladies joining us? We were just watching a movie."

"What movie?" Kairi asked. "Because if I have no interest in what you're watching, I'm going home."

"The remake of 'Hair'." Riku deadpanned.

"In that case, I'll pass." Kairi rolled her eyes, "Stupid boys and your stupid movies."

Sora just laughed.

"Nam, you coming?" Kairi asked her sister.

Namine nodded. "Yes. You two enjoy your movie. See you later!" She waved and opened the door, waiting for her sister to say her goodbyes.

"Bye, Nami. Bye, Kairi." Riku said, grinning.

"See you Riku." Kairi smiled. She gave Sora a friendly kiss on the cheek as she passed, "Thanks for finding my boots." she said, "Bye!"

Riku's grin faded from his face and he pulled his arm back, staring at Sora as the door shut behind the twins. His voice was even, with no hint of emotion, when he spoke: "I didn't know you and Kairi were like that."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

Riku glanced away, no longer able to look at Sora without losing it. "I wasn't aware you and Kairi were together. An item."

"We're not." Sora frowned, "And even if we were, would it matter?"

Riku's head whipped around to stare at Sora incredulously. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He closed it, closed his eyes for a moment, then tried again, hurt evident in his voice. "I guess it doesn't really matter after all." With that, the silverette turned to leave the house.

"Riku!" Sora called after him, surprised.

Riku stopped, but didn't turn around to face Sora as he spoke. "What is it, Sora? I should be getting home, Reno'll worry..." He trailed off, well aware the excuse was a pitiful one.

"Reno doesn't worry." Sora frowned, "Look, I don't know what I said, but I'm sorry for whatever it was."

Riku let out a short bark of laughter. "No, you wouldn't..." He muttered. He turned to face Sora, his best friend. "Sora, I..." Riku looked into those piercing blue eyes staring at him expectantly, and his courage fled. "It's nothing. I was just overreacting about you and Kairi. Forget it." Riku tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it.

Sora frowned, "Riku..."

"Let's just finish the movie, okay?" Riku said, avoiding Sora's gaze as he started to make his way past the slightly shorter brunette.

Sora frowned, but nodded, "Alright, sounds good..."

XXXX

…My characters all need therapy.

Anyways, I hope you guys liked it, we worked really hard on it! The plots are starting up, it's gonna be one messy ride but (hopefully) worth it in the end!

Please REVIEW and let us know if you liked it / what you think. Thank you!

And just a quick thanks to everyone reading. Okay, I'm done for real now.

Byee :)


	6. Why Stalking is a Bad Idea

"You HAVE to come over tonight." Yuffie said, taking as much time as possible to gather together her books after Chemistry class. Demyx was sitting next to her, looking a little bit distracted. Snapping out of it, he glanced at her.

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah." Demyx nodded.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow, "Did you hear a word I said?"

"Of course I did." Demyx said.

Zexion raised an eyebrow at their conversation. Still gathering his teaching materials, he couldn't help but overhear what the two students were saying as they were the only ones who hadn't left yet. Making a quick decision, Zexion cleared his throat.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but may I have a word with you, Demyx? And you should get to your next class, Yuffie." The substitute said sternly, resisting a smirk at the look on Yuffie's face.

"Go ahead, Yuff." Demyx said, "I'll see you in Math."

"You sure?" Yuffie asked, giving Zexion an apprehensive look.

"Yeah." Demyx nodded.

Yuffie picked up her bag and left the classroom, but not without another glance back to make sure Demyx was sure. Once she was gone, Demyx walked up to Zexion's desk.

"I'll get straight to the point: is everything all right? You seem very distracted today and I don't think I saw you smile once, which is unheard of for you." Zexion said bluntly, studying the blonde's face closely, wishing he knew the reason why those blue eyes were so sad.

Demyx hesitated. Yuffie had always said he was a horrible liar, but it didn't hurt to give it a shot. "Everything's fine."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you that you are a terrible liar? What's the matter, Demyx?"

"There's just some stuff going on at home." Demyx said, dancing around the point.

Zexion sighed. "I'm only trying to help." He said softly.

"I know. And thank you." Demyx said, "But... I need to get to class."

Zexion hesitated briefly before coming to a decision and ripping out a blank piece of paper from his notebook as well as grabbing his stack of late passes. Quickly filling out the pass, he scribbled his cell phone number on the scrap of paper and handed both to the expectant blonde.

"Here's a pass so you don't get in trouble. And take this - it's my cell number. If anything happens and you need help, call me. I won't force you to tell me what's wrong, but I really do want to be able to help. You can even call just to talk. I won't push the matter after today. Just... just talk to someone, okay? I... well, I know what's it's like to feel alone and quite frankly it sucks." Zexion said with a wry smile.

Demyx could imagine that a college graduate that was only a year older than he was (and he wasn't even a high school graduate yet) would have some ideas about feeling alone. Smiling a genuine smile, he spoke, "Thank you."

Zexion nodded and smiled back, happy to see the smile he had been missing. "You're welcome. You'd better get to your next class before Yuffie convinces the teacher I've kidnapped you."

Demyx laughed, but then realized that Yuffie actually would do that, and hurried to the door, "Thanks again, Zexion." he smiled, before dashing out into the hallway.

XXXX

Roxas sighed as he made his way through the crowded halls of the math building. Finally managing to push his way outside, he stepped to the side of the entrance and just took a deep breath, reveling in the knowledge that he now had over an hour's break for lunch. He started walking leisurely along the path, heading toward the campus cafeteria, when he heard someone calling his name.

Axel had been waiting outside of the cafeteria for him, leaning against the wall, hoping that Riku's (stolen) information on Roxas's class schedule for the day wasn't totally off. Feeling suddenly lucky that Riku was such a creep and was able to correctly get him Roxas's class schedule, he walked towards the approaching blond.

"Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, surprised to see the tall redhead on campus. He grinned up at him as he stopped in front of him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Today's my day off." Axel smiled, "And I'm here to take you to lunch to make up for making you cook dinner all those times."

Roxas was floored. "Really?"

"Yep." Axel smiled, before hesitating, "I mean, if you want to! I'm not gonna kidnap you and take you to lunch or anything."

Roxas shook his head and laughed. "I wouldn't mind being kidnapped by you for lunch." He said with a wink. "So where are we going?"

Axel grinned, "I dunno. What do you feel like having?"

"As the kidnapper, shouldn't you have it all planned?" Roxas asked, shaking his head at the redhead.

"Hey, I wasn't even sure if I was here at the right time." Axel laughed, "How's pizza? There's a good place around the corner."

Roxas shook his head in mock disappointment. "No planned location, no timing... You kinda suck at this, Axel. But yeah, pizza is fine. Honestly, anything edible that I don't have to make myself is great. I wasn't planning on buying lunch out today, but I should have enough to cover a slice of pizza, so let's go!"

"Nuh uh. Treating you to lunch involves actually treating you, and unless you want a pile of Halloween candy to show up on your doorstep tomorrow morning, you're gonna have to let me pay." Axel grinned, "See, this part I thought out."

"...Halloween candy? New or from last year? 'Cause if it's new, I might have to think about it..." Roxas teased, walking with Axel along the paths leading off campus and towards the pizza place.

"Definitely from last year." Axel chuckled, "From last year and pulled out of the deep, dark abyss of my roommate Larxene's closet. And trust me, you do not want that over free lunch."

Roxas pretended to shudder, holding his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. You win." More seriously, he looking up into the redhead's green eyes and smiled. "Thanks, Axel."

Axel smiled back at him, "No problem."

As they were nearing the place, Roxas asked curiously, "So what's your favorite kind of pizza?"

Axel shrugged, "I'll pretty much eat whatever when it comes to pizza. You?"

"I like the classics best. You know, cheese, pepperoni. I don't understand people who think they can just put anything on a pizza and assume it'll taste great. Hello, those food were NOT meant to be combined like that! I mean, who was the idiot who thought, 'Hmm. I have left over shrimp and a fresh pineapple. I know! Let me put it on my pizza!'" Roxas said, rolling his eyes.

Axel laughed, "Yeah, that's true. But the guy that did think of that combo is probably pretty rich for inventing it. Hey, if all I have to do to become rich is invent a weird pizza topping combination, sign me up. How does spinach and oranges sound?" he grinned.

Roxas gave Axel a look of horror. "I don't care how rich you become; you invent that, and I don't think I'll ever be able to even remotely associate with you again. That is just a crime against taste buds!"

Axel laughed, "Alright, alright. I'll stay away from the spinach and oranges while you're around."

"Thank you." Roxas sighed in relief. "I can rest easy tonight knowing that the world of pizza lovers will be spared another day from that horrid combination."

Axel just laughed.

"So, I have a question." Roxas said as they entered the pizza place. The pair was quickly seated at a booth in the back, sitting across from each other, waiting for their waiter to appear.

"Yes?" Axel asked, glancing over at him. When no question came from Roxas, he spoke up again in a teasing tone, "Come on, Roxas, you can ask me anything."

Roxas opened his mouth to speak but the waiter appeared just then and Axel order a pepperoni pie for them to split as well as two sodas. Roxas waited until the waiter had delivered the drinks and had disappeared again before speaking.

"You said before that you were taking me to lunch to make up for me cooking those dinners. But both times, you ended up helping me cook them, so you don't really owe me. So I guess my question is, are you just one of those people who feels horribly guilty when anyone does anything for them, regardless of how small it is like cooking dinner which was eaten by more people besides yourself, or is this a date?" Roxas asked in one breath, tensing slightly as he waited for an answer.

"Well," Axel started, but then paused, looking at Roxas, "That depends on whether or not you want it to be a date."

Roxas blushed slightly, but tilted his head, looking at Axel. "I'd like it to be. But I'd also like to hear you say it, oh wise kidnapper."

"In that case, this is definitely a date." Axel smirked at him.

Roxas smiled. "Good. 'Cause I... well, I like you, Axel. And until now I wasn't even sure if you were gay!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Axel said, "The day I met you somehow I managed to convince myself I had a boyfriend and then had the crushing realization the next day that I most definitely did not. So, this brings me a step closer." he smiled.

Roxas' smile grew. "Oh really? So you think you can handle being my boyfriend, do you?"

"Oh, I think so." Axel teased, "You can't be that hard to please. I'm willing to try." he smirked.

Roxas rolled his eyes and reached across the small table to smack the redhead's arm, laughing and letting his own arms rest out on the table as he leaned forward, an excited gleam in his eyes. "I'm very high maintenance, you know. Mood swings and baking fits, the works. Also, I don't tolerate cheating. At all. If you're dating me, you're only dating me. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course." Axel said, surprised he'd even ask, "The only thing you're gonna have to do is figure out how to handle my roommates. They take a little bit of work, but they're good people, deep, deep down somewhere."

"They tolerate you, don't they?" Roxas asked with a smirk. "I'm sure I'll be fine. So, a toast. To us!" Roxas picked up his glass and held it out to his new boyfriend.

Axel smiled, picking up his glass and clinking it against Roxas's, "To us."

XXXX

Seifer glanced up from his phone, which he was using to try and not-so-subtly hide the fact that he was most definitely stalking his stalker. Yes, a good portion of this idea had come from Xigbar calling him and letting him know that Cloud officially knew who signed him up for the phone sex subscription, but another good portion of himself was actually curious. The kid was tiny, anyway, he could get away if he did turn out to be a creep.

Hayner walked along campus aimlessly, a soccer ball under one arm and his backpack slung across the other. Pence and Roxas were both in class right now, and Olette was with her friends from her science class, bonding over their mutual hatred for the class. He had time to kill before practice and wasn't too sure what to do with it. Deciding to head to one of the smaller athletic fields and get in a little solo practice, Hayner abruptly turned around, walking in the direction he had just come as that was the fastest way to the field.

As nonchalantly as possible, Seifer ducked behind the gym, hoping that the blonde hadn't seen him.

'_Great, Seifer. Reduced to literally stalking the kid. That's normal.'_ Seifer shook his head.

Still lost in his thoughts, Hayner barely noticed the other students milling about. Once he made it to the field, he placed his ball and backpack down and began stretching. He bent over while keeping his legs straight as possible, trying to reach the toes of his sneakers, which he managed to just barely graze with his fingertips. Breathing evenly, he held the stretch for a few seconds before switching to bending down with his right and left arms only, feeling the familiar pull on his muscles.

Satisfied he had stretched enough so that he wouldn't injure himself, Hayner decided to do a quick lap around the field before starting some drills. Looking around for somewhere to stash his stuff, he froze, his gaze on the blonde casually sitting on one of the bleachers around the field, fiddling with his cell phone.  
_'Holy crap! It's him! What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?'_ Hayner thought, completely panicking. Realizing he was gaping at the guy, he quickly bent down and pretended his shoelace needed retying even though it didn't, having a small internal meltdown as this section of campus was usually empty and today was no exception.

Ah, shit he'd been spotted. Seifer would have been disappointed in his stalking skills if he wasn't so amused by the look on the blonde's face. Going back and forth between getting up and casually leaving so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself and walking over and trying to make conversation with the kid, Seifer finally settled on conversation. If he went home he was likely to get killed, anyway. At least Cloud and Leon wouldn't think of looking for him here.

"Hey, kid." Seifer said, standing up and walking over.

Hayner was so absorbed in his panicking while retying his shoelace over and over he hadn't noticed his stalkers' approach until he spoke to him, and the sound of his voice startled him so badly that he toppled over onto the ground.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Er, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

Hayner scrambled backwards on his elbows, resembling a cross between a crab and a fish out of water as he was gaping at his stalker with wide eyes. He tried to say something, anything, but all that came out was a panicked squeak. He looked around, of course not seeing anyone else around, before looking back up at his stalker's amused face. He blushed, immediately dropping his gaze and mentally cursing himself for letting himself get so hyped up over this guy that he couldn't form a single word, let alone a proper sentence.

"Uhhh..." Seifer blinked, "Do you need help? Are you okay?" he asked, hoping he hadn't killed the kid. Maybe he should have gone home.

Hayner blinked. _'Wait, what?'_ He thought. _'Help? He wants to help? Not kidnap me?'_

Shaking his head, Hayner attempted and failed to get on his feet. "Um. Uh. N-no. No. I'm okay. Sorry, you just really startled me."

'_Wait, why am I apologizing? And what if now that he knows I'm all right, he tries something stalkerish? Argh, stupid Hayner!' _Hayner mentally berated himself.

"Oh, good. I was worried I'd killed you." Seifer said, holding out a hand to help the kid up.

"N-no." Hayner squeaked, tentatively taking the offered hand, allowing it to pull him to his feet. He stumbled, reaching out and gripping his stalker's shoulder to keep his balance, before his eyes widened and he realized what he had done, dropping his hand.

"Sorry!" He said, worrying he might have upset the guy somehow. He'd reached out blindly - he didn't want to fall! _'And now I'm worrying about __upsetting__ him?' _Hayner thought, incredulous at his own mind.

Seifer just blinked again, "Why are you apologizing?" he laughed. He was starting to wonder if he should run in the other direction. No. He was Seifer. He didn't run.

"I-I... I don't know! You've got me all flustered!" Hayner said, crossing his arms and glaring at his stalker, blushing again.

"Well, just... just calm down." Seifer said, "I don't need you passing out on me." Maybe he'd just walk fast. That wasn't running.

That was all it took for Hayner's panic to change to anger. "I will not pass out!" He growled. "Look, I know you've been stalking me! It's creepy! How would you react if the guy who was stalking you suddenly came up to you while you were completely alone?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Stalking you? The only reason I was following you today was because you were stalking me, and I was only trying to figure out why."

"Bullshit!" Hayner yelled. "Don't lie to me! You've been following me all semester! And I only followed you once to try to find out why you were stalking me!"

"I have not been following you." Seifer snapped, starting to lose his cool. _'Great, Seifer. Lose your cool over a kid.'_

"Would you stop lying? You've been caught in the act - just give up. I want to know right now why the hell you are stalking me! I don't even know you!" Hayner said, seriously getting pissed. Not only did he have a stalker, but the guy was a lying idiot? Of course he was, because Hayner couldn't get the nice stalker in the form of a cute girl too shy to tell him she liked him - no, he had to attract the nutjobs!

Seifer sighed, "You know what? I don't need to explain your hallucinations to you. I am not stalking you." With that, he turned to leave, shaking his head and muttering something about crazy people.

"Will you wait just a damned minute?" Hayner said, grabbing onto the guy's arm to stop him from running away. "You can't just run away in the middle of a conversation! We have to sort this out now because I would like my life to not have a stalker in it and only have another fifteen minutes to remedy that before practice starts! Damn, are you always this annoying?"

"Your life does not have a stalker in it, because for the last time, I am not stalking you. Also, I don't run." Seifer gave Hayner a look that seemed like a cross between being annoyed and insulted.

Hayner squinted at him, taking in his appearance. "Are you sure you're not stalking me? Because I see you everywhere. And I mean everywhere! Swear it! Swear you're not stalking me and tell me your class schedule because if you have no reason to be in the same buildings as me every single day, then I'll have proof that you're stalking me!"

"I'm not telling some random kid my schedule." Seifer snapped, "But how's this? Next time you see me, you are more than welcome to check to make sure I have a reason to be in the same building as you." He rolled his eyes.  
"Hey, I'm not a kid! You can't be more than a few years older than me!" Hayner growled, fuming. "And fine! I will!"

"Then run along to your soccer practice, kid." Seifer said, turning and trying to walk away again.  
Hayner once again grabbed him and stopped him. "Aha! Proof! I never said what practice I had to get to!" He said triumphantly.

"As if I couldn't tell by the _soccer_ ball next to you." Seifer said, "Can I leave now?"

Hayner opened and closed his mouth before muttering curses. "Fine. But we'll just see what happens this week! And no changing your schedule to try to falsely prove your innocence - if I don't see you at all, then I'll know you were stalking me before and have stopped only because you were caught!"

Seifer just rolled his eyes and tried to walk off.

"Wait!" Hayner grabbed his stuff and raced after the guy, rolling his eyes at the growl he received. "What's your name? So that I don't have to proclaim loudly to the entire campus your status as my stalker tomorrow when I see you?" Hayner asked smugly.

Seifer grumbled and considered just leaving and not telling the kid his name, but decided his friends wouldn't let him live it down if he was caught tomorrow with some blonde shouting "STALKER" at him across campus. "It's Seifer. I'm leaving now."  
Hayner shrugged, letting him finally leave and heading off to the larger field for practice. He couldn't wait to tell his friends and his sister all about his stalker, Seifer.

XXXX

And that, kids, is why you shouldn't stalk people unless you know they're remotely interested in you.

Also, OH MY GOD, I CAN'T UN-READ (OR WRITE, FOR THAT MATTER) THE CORNY. BUT THE CORNY IS CORNY AND ADORABLE.

Oh Axel. Corny.

It's Cami, in case you couldn't tell. I'm sleep deprived. Review and let us know what you thought!

Next chapter there will be… Uhhh… Jasmine, what will there be?


	7. Riku Gets a Pep Talk

Jasmine here! Things really start picking up in this chapter! Hope everyone likes it!

Also, Cami and I decided to try to update once a week, every Saturday. We have a few chapters stockpiled, so hopefully we'll be able to stick to the once a week schedule!

We don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

XXXX

Cloud followed Larxene as she quickly entered The Hardware Store Place, hoping that he had gotten her here on time so that she wouldn't get in trouble with her boss. They should have just made it, but Cloud was still worried and planned on taking the blame if Leon got upset. He looked around at all of the tools and things on display in the store, and wondered who came up with the horrible shop name when Larxene suddenly stopped in front of him and he saw a frowning brunette striding purposefully towards them. Guess they didn't make it on time after all.

"Larxene, you're late. Again." Leon said, stopping in front of them and crossing his arms, "Hey, Cloud."

Larxene shifted, grumbling something under her breath about detours and stupid roommates and cars being left in parking lots when there was no actual reason for them to be there.

Leon raised an eyebrow, "What was that?"

"Leon." Cloud said, taking a step forward. "It's my fault Larxene's late; I insisted we make a detour this morning on our way here."

Leon glanced over at Cloud as if only realizing that he was there (which is strange because he had clearly acknowledged his presence only a moment earlier.) "Oh." he nodded.

"Sooo... do I still have a job?" Larxene asked, sounding hopeful.

Leon sighed, wondering how he got himself into these situations, "For now. Go get to work."

"Will do, boss man! Thanks!" Larxene dashed off, calling a thank you to Cloud as well as she vanished into the break room.

"Thanks, Leon. Listen, we need to talk. Do you have an office or something?" Cloud asked.

"Uh, sure." Leon nodded, "Come on."

Cloud nodded, following Leon as he walked through an "Employees Only" door and opened one of the office doors inside. He couldn't help but notice how good the brunette's ass looked in those pants, shaking his head to dispel those types of thoughts as he took the seat Leon motioned to.

"So..." Leon said, waiting for the blonde to start the conversation, "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Your idiot roommates." Cloud said. "You've been getting pranks, right? Things sent to you, supposedly from me? Oh, did you get the magazine yet? That's from Xigbar, by the way."

Leon gestured in the general area of the trash can and nodded, "I know they're not from you. Seifer and Xigbar are idiots that have it in their head that this is amusing."

"So far, Xigbar sent me chocolates with a corny note signed by 'you' and apparently it was Seifer who signed me up for a phone sex subscription. I know Xigbar sent you the trashy magazine; he admitted as much this morning when I very nearly beat him to a pulp - that's why Larxene was late, by the way. Did you get anything else?" Cloud asked, morbidly curious.

"Flowers, the other day. Handed them off to a random person on the street." Leon answered.

Cloud just shook his head. "They obviously don't know either of us as well as they think - did they really think we would fall for something like that? In the beginning, it was entertaining; now it's just annoying. I think we need to teach them a lesson, don't you?"

Leon chuckled, "I'm up for anything in which Seifer gets his ass kicked."

"Great." Cloud smirked evilly. "You all live together, right? What do you think - " Cloud was cut off by a knock on the door.

"For everyone's sake, I hope no one broke something. Come in!" Leon called.

The door opened, revealing a delivery guy dressed in the typical brown uniform of most delivery companies, complete with a cap which was currently restraining his black hair and hiding his eyes. He carried with him a medium sized box wrapped in plain brown paper. "I've got a package for Cloud."

Cloud frowned. "I didn't order anything to be sent here..." He groaned as realization hit. "Not again! Look, whatever it is, I don't want it. So just take it back to Seifer and Xigbar. Return to sender."

"Sorry, Cloudy, but I know it's for you." The delivery person said, setting the package on Leon's desk and looking up, his blue eyes sparking as they met the blonde's.

"Zack?" Cloud asked, confused. "I didn't know you worked as a delivery guy! Look, I'm sorry, but I don't want whatever it is those two idiots told you to give me."

Zack just smirked. "I'm sure you'll change your mind." With that, he ripped off his cap and threw it to the floor, his black hair cascading around his face. With a grin, he ripped open the package and pulled a silver boombox out of the box. Cloud opened his mouth to question what his friend thought he was doing, when Zack turned on the player, a thumping dance song coming on, as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his toned chest.

"Zack?" Cloud yelled, his too-stunned brain not processing the image before him. Zack smirked and proceeded to wiggle his hips to the beat as he slipped off his pants and kicked off his shoes, leaving him standing in nothing but a gold thong.

"Wh-what the hell?" Cloud exclaimed, a light blush dusting his face.

Zack laughed, continuing to dance to the pounding beat. "C'mon, Cloudy. Use your head. I'm not a delivery guy, I'm your stripper for the day. I've been ordered to give you a lap dance, but maybe the brunette cutie over here would like one first?"

"Most definitely not, thank you." Leon said, "I'm actually going to go on break right now and kill my roommates." he said, looking like he was three seconds from throwing Zack out the window. He probably would have, if it hadn't been for the potential lawsuits and the fact that Cloud seemed to recognize him.

"Aww, you're so cute when you're mad." Zack said with a wink. Cloud took one look at Leon and leapt to his feet. He might be pissed at Zack, but there was no way he'd let Leon kill his friend. He quickly bent down and gathered the delivery uniform, thrusting it at Zack while staring firmly at his jaw.

"Zack. For all our sake's, put the damn clothes back on!" Turning to leave his friend to it, he quickly turned off the music.

"Leon. I'm sorry my friend is stupid enough to get roped into this - he really is a good guy and I'd appreciate it very much if you didn't kill him." Cloud said, noting the anger clearly visible on the brunette's face, trying to think of some way to calm him down.

"Aw, but Cloudy, the fun - " Zack was cut off by an extremely pissed and flustered blonde. "Zack! If you value your life at all, you'll shut up and leave! Now!"

Zack pouted but after taking another look at the brunette, decided that maybe this had gone far enough and he should leave now. Gathering the boombox and packaging, he fled the suddenly tense office.

Cloud frowned slightly at Leon, as he still hadn't said anything. "Leon?" He said tentatively.

"I was serious about taking my break and killing Xigbar and Seifer. Are you coming?" Leon asked, standing up and grabbing his keys.

Relieved he wasn't going after his moron of a friend, Cloud nodded. "If you give me directions, we can take my bike. It'll be faster."

"Sure, sounds good." Leon nodded, "My apartment's not far from here. We might need to swing by The Rusty Wrench to kill Xigbar, though." Letting Cloud out of his office, he shut and locked the door behind them. Larxene was coming down an aisle towards them, so he called for her, "Larxene, I'm taking my lunch break. Be back in an hour."

"Sounds good." Larxene smiled, waving, a little more happy and polite than Leon had ever seen her. He brushed it off as her not wanting to get fired and let it go, heading out the door with Cloud to kill his roommates.

XXXX

"Yes, Sora, I understand that you're confused." Kairi spoke into her phone, leaning back on the couch and giving her sister a look.

"_But he freaked out!"_

"I know. You just said that."

"_Kairiiii."_

Kairi rolled her eyes.

Namine smiled at her sister. "I'm sorry, Riku." She said into her phone. The two were attempting to watch TV while also both on the phone.

"_Nami, it was horrible! He had no idea why I was so upset!"_

"Oh, Riku. You should know from years of friendship that Sora can be a bit dense."

"_Yeah, but I never thought he'd be this dense! He doesn't get it. How can he not see it? I don't know what to do..."_

Namine sighed, glancing at her sister, thinking of some positive advice to give her friend.

"No, Sora, I don't know why he almost ran out on you." Kairi said, "And I highly doubt that you did anything wrong."

"_But he freaked out as soon as you left."_

"And do you remember what I did right before I left?" Kairi rolled her eyes, wondering how long it would take Sora to realize what had happened.

"_Uhh..."_

"I kissed you on the cheek, remember?" Kairi asked, using the voice she used to talk to small children.

"_But you do that all the time!"_

"Riku, have you tried telling him how you feel?" Namine asked carefully.

"_Of course not! I couldn't take it if he hated me because of it. If I can't have him like that, I want to at least be able to remain friends and see him regularly. I need him. I don't know what I'd do - SHUT UP RENO, I'M NOT EMO! - Sorry, Nami."_

Namine grimaced, rolling her eyes but nodding while saying, "It's all right. Tell Reno I say hello. Back to Sora - maybe you should give it a try. I really don't think he'll hate you."

"_I... I tried. But when I looked him in the eye, I just couldn't. You don't know what it was like, to stand in his house while he wondered why it would bother me or hurt me at all if he was with your sister - and he's definitely not, right? I mean, he said as much, but Kairi doesn't think...?"_

Namine laughed, glancing at her sister. "No, I promise you Kairi isn't secretly pining away for Sora."

Kairi pulled her phone away from her ear, "Why are we having the same conversation with two different people?"

"Because they're both too clueless to actually work things out between themselves?" Namine answered, while making sympathetic noises to Riku who was still detailing his plight.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "No, Sora, the kiss did not mean anything more than what it usually does."

"Well, if you can't say it with words, say it with actions. Take him out one on one. Kiss him. Do something!" Namine said into her phone.

"_But what if - "_

"Riku, I love you like a brother but you cannot live your life always asking 'what if'. If you don't try, Sora will eventually become someone else's boyfriend and then you'll never know what you could have had. You are a smart, funny, attractive man who has known Sora for years. You can do this. I'm hanging up now. Go get your man!" With that, Namine sighed loudly and dropped her phone into her lap.

Kairi gave her sister a look that expressed her extreme jealousy at her being off the phone. "No, Sora, I will NOT talk to Riku for you!" she snapped, "You need to suck it up and just talk to him already." She snapped her phone shut.

"Do you think those two will ever get together? Maybe we should do more to push them together..." Namine said, worry on her face.

"Nam, I am ready to lock the two of them in a fucking closet if it will stop the whiny phone calls." Kairi grumbled.

"Did Sora figure anything out? Because Riku is extremely upset about his cluelessness." the blonde said, rubbing her temples as a headache started making itself known.

"Sora's a clueless idiot. He still has no idea." Kairi sighed. "Seriously. Can I lock them in a closet?"

"I think we should save that as a last resort. Right now, if that happened Riku would either have a panic attack or molest Sora, and either way Sora would freak out because he wouldn't be able to find the closet door - literally and metaphorically." Namine replied.

Kairi sighed and mumbled, "Fine..."

XXXX

Riku sighed as he heard the click of Namine hanging up on him, closing his phone and placing it on the table next to him. He was laying on the couch in the living room of his apartment, someplace he rarely ever was but he couldn't exactly go to Sora's right now. It was too awkward. He placed his arms under his head and stared up at the ceiling, trying to picture taking Sora out on a date or kissing him and failing miserably.

"You're kind of a major drama queen, Riku." His brother's voice broke through his thoughts. "Oh, no, dear me, my best friend doesn't realize that he's madly in love with me, what ever will I do?"

"Shut up, Reno." Riku said halfheartedly. He closed his eyes, not at all in the mood for his half-brother's teasing.

"Stop being mean, Reno." A female voice spoke up.

"I wasn't being mean..." Reno grumbled.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring him, "Riku, do you want something to eat? I'm making lunch."

Riku opened his eyes and sat up. "Sure. Thanks, Aerith. See, Reno? Why can't you be more like our sister? You know, nice?"

"Because then my name would be Aerith, not Reno." Reno stated as if it was obvious.

Aerith smacked him.

Riku snickered. Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Riku said, standing up and moving over to the door. _'Maybe it's Sora!'_ He thought, his hopes soaring... only to be dashed as the opened door revealed not his favorite brunette but his sister's husband, Zack.

"Oh. Hey, Zack." Riku said, trying and failing to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you? I've got just the story to cheer you up! You'll never guess what I just did!" Zack said, stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind him, following Riku into the kitchen.

"Hey Reno." He said, making his way over to Aerith and kissing her. "Hi, babe." Zack grinned.

"Hey, hon." Aerith smiled, "You have a story? What did you do?"

Riku ignored the way his stomach flipped at the obvious display of affection, instead focusing on Zack's story.

"Well." Zack started. "I got a call from Larxene, Cloudy's roommate, asking if I wanted in on a chance to prank him. Of course I said yes, and was told to get to The Hardware Store Place as fast as I could dressed as a delivery guy with a boombox as my 'package'."

Riku's jaw dropped. "You didn't!"

Zack laughed and winked at him. "Of course I did!"

Aerith's eyes narrowed and she repeated her previous question with more emotion, "What did you do, Zack?"

Reno laughed at the tone in his sister's voice.

"I gave Cloudy and his friend a little show, naturally!" Zack gleefully answered. "Although, they declined my offers for lap dances that Larxene insisted I give. And I never did get the brunette's name..."

"Why did I marry you again?" Aerith asked, smacking him and going back to making lunch.

"Aerith!" Zack whined. "You married me - "  
" - for his good looks. He obviously doesn't have a brain." Riku said, grinning.

"Aw, Rikuuu. Don't be mean." Zack said, pouting, before suddenly grinning himself. "Hey, at least I cheered you up! See, Aerith? You married me because I'm kind and caring and I love you."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "I'm still not convinced."

"Aerith!" Zack said. "Reno, help me out here!"

"You're on your own, man." Reno laughed, "I'm not helping you win my sister over again."

"Hey! I thought you were my best friend!" Zack said, poking Reno in the shoulder.

Riku snorted and rolled his eyes. He missed this. He missed his crazy family. Maybe he should hang out at home more often...

"You can't use that excuse again." Reno gave his brother-in-law a look, "You did the same thing when you were trying to convince her to marry you."

Aerith raised an eyebrow, "What's this now?"

"Nothing, sis. Just make lunch." Reno grinned at her.

Aerith shrugged, "Okay, then you're not getting any."

"Zack guilted me into helping him convince you to marry him." Reno said, "Now do I get lunch?"

"Reno!" Zack yelled. "You are not helping! Just stop talking!" Zack put his hands around Aerith's waist. "Baby, you know I love you. You're just so damn perfect, I was intimidated to propose to you. I was afraid you'd shoot me down."

Riku sighed. Then again, this was why he avoided home. This mushy crap bugged him, and especially got to him today.

Aerith chuckled, "Fine." she rolled her eyes, leaning back into him as she continued to finish up making lunch, "You still don't get any lunch, Reno."

"What?" Reno whined, "Why?"

"Aw, you know he'll never shut up if you deny him food. He was just helping me 'cause we're best friends. It's in the rule book. Please don't make me split my lunch with him and give him his own?" Zack begged on Reno's behalf.

"Speaking of, Aerith, are you almost done? Do you need help? 'Cause I'm starving." Riku said, attempting to save his half-brother and brother-in-law from destruction-by-Aerith.

Aerith rolled her eyes, "I'm done." she said, pulling herself out of Zack's arms and putting a plate of sandwiches on the table. She rolled her eyes at Reno and gestured towards the table in a sort of, "Fine, go ahead" movement.

Reno grinned and ran to the table, more than happy to.

"You're the best." Zack said, spinning Aerith to give her another kiss before grabbing a sandwich for himself.  
Riku quickly took one off the stack. "I'll be in my room." He mumbled, fleeing the room as the happy couple made gooey eyes at each other.

Aerith frowned as he left, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna try and talk to him." she squeezed Zack's hand and walked down the hall to Riku's room. Knocking on the door, she spoke, "Riku? Can I come in?"

Riku hastily swallowed the last bite of his sandwich and gave a muttered 'come in', turning from where he was standing looking out his window to lean against the wall next to it so that he was facing the door as Aerith entered.

"Hey..." Aerith said, walking in and shutting the door behind her so that they would have some privacy, "Are you okay? You... seem a little off." she said, hesitantly.

Riku ran a hand through his hair and tried to smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Aerith clearly didn't believe him, "Riku, you can talk to me."

He sighed, crossing his arms and avoiding her gaze. "I know, Aerith. It's just... complicated."

She frowned, "If this is about Sora, I heard you on the phone with your friend."

"So then you should know what's bothering me. Sorry I just ran out of the kitchen and left you to deal with Zack and Reno." Riku said to the wall.

"I'm used to it, Riku, that's not a big deal." Aerith sighed, "I think you need to talk to him."

Riku sighed. "I know. It's just... I love him so much. And I know he loves me too. But what if... what if I'm wrong? I mean, he's never dated a guy before, that I know of. What if I'm wrong in thinking he has feeling for me, too? And then if I make a move... he'll hate me."

"As long as you're careful, he won't hate you. I'm not telling you to jump him, Riku." Aerith raised an eyebrow.

"I know, but he's my best friend. I just don't want to screw things up between us." Riku closed his eyes, letting his head thunk back against the wall.

"Well, it seems like you're stuck with a choice, Riku. You're obviously not happy with the way things are now, but to advance anything, you need to figure out if you're ready to possibly risk him reacting wrong." Aerith said, "Either way, you need to talk to him."

Riku took a deep breath and when he opened his eyes and focused on his sister, they shone with determination. "You're right. You and Namine are both right - I have to do something. 'Cause the way it is right now is just hurting us both. Thanks, Aerith."

Aerith smiled, "No problem. Now come back outside and spend time with your family. We never see you anymore."

Riku grinned. "Okay, okay. As long as you and Zack keep your hands to yourselves and behave."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "Fiiiine, I promise." she smiled.

XXXX

"Dem?"

Demyx glanced over at his friend, snapped out of his thoughts.

"Alright, what's going on?" she asked, plopping into a chair across from him. The two of them were sitting in her living room, a random music station playing on the radio as they attempted to plan out Yuffie's party. "We're not in the classroom now, so you can tell me, right?"

"There's nothing going on, Yuffie." Demyx insisted, "I'm just tired."

Yuffie shut her notebook, "Well, then, we can plan later." She shrugged, "The party's not 'til Saturday, and it's only Wednesday." She leaned back in her chair, "Are you sure you're okay? You've seemed really off the last few days."

Demyx shook his head, "I'm fine, Yuffie. Thanks for worrying, though."

Yuffie sighed, "No, you're not. I've known you for years, Demyx, you'd think you would trust me."

"But there's nothing—"

"Demyx, you're lying to me! Stop it and tell me what's wrong before I find a knife to poke you very hard with!" Yuffie snapped, clutching her notebook. "If there was something wrong here, I'd tell you!"

"That's just it, Yuffie! There's nothing wrong here!" Demyx snapped back at her, "Nothing is ever wrong in your perfect little life where you can blackmail your perfect little parents and get everything you want!"

Yuffie stiffened.

"I'm just—" he frowned, starting to lose steam, "I have to go." He stood up, grabbing his backpack and walking towards the door.

Yuffie grabbed his arm, "Demyx, wait—"

He pulled his arm out of her grip and left, slamming the door shut behind him.

XXXX

What a dramatic chapter ending! Expect the next one next Saturday!

Review and let us know you liked it!


	8. Cloud Becomes a Master at Confrontation

In retrospect, leaving Yuffie's house in a huff was not Demyx's smartest idea. Yuffie had driven them to her house, and so Demyx had no way of getting home. And he sure as hell wasn't turning around to go groveling back to Yuffie's house and asking her for a ride. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, wishing that he lived closer to Yuffie's house and that walking home was feasible. He couldn't call his parents.

His hand hit crinkly paper and he pulled it out of his pocket. Zexion's phone number... right, he'd been worried earlier and gave him it. Staring at the sheet of paper for a moment, he pulled his phone out, carefully dialing the number, hoping he wasn't making a mistake.  
_"Zexion speaking."_

"Uhh... hi, it's Demyx." Demyx stumbled, not sure what to say.

"_Demyx? Is everything okay?"_

"Not... really. Umm... is there any way you could..." Demyx paused, "Wow, this sounds really crazy. I need a ride home."

Zexion's voice didn't waver or hesitate. _"Where are you?"_

Demyx looked around for a street sign, finally finding one and rattling it off to Zexion.

"_Stay there. It's close to where I am - I'll be there in a few minutes."_

"Okay. Thank you." Demyx mumbled.

"_I'll be there soon." _Zexion repeated, hanging up.

XXXX

Hardly a minute later, Zexion pulled over to the curb where he saw Demyx standing. "Demyx!" He called. "Get in."

Demyx hurried over to the car and climbed in, "Thank you again."

Zexion nodded, pulling away from the curb. "Just give me directions to where you want to go."

"Okay. Just continue down this street." Demyx said, pointing down in the direction his house was in. He leaned back in the seat, relieved he wasn't going to have to walk home or call his parents.

Zexion nodded, keeping his eyes on the road but glancing every now and then at the blonde slumped in his seat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly.

Demyx glanced at him, "I just had a fight with Yuffie, that's all." he said, _'And stormed out of her house like an idiot.'_

Zexion nodded again, hesitant to ask more. "Look, I... I know I said you could always call, no questions asked, but... I promise you don't have to answer, but what's really bothering you? This fight with Yuffie is just the latest excuse for the sadness in your eyes..."

Demyx glanced at him again, shifting awkwardly, "I really don't want to talk about it." he mumbled.

"Oh." Zexion said softly.

Demyx forced a smile, "I'll be fine. Thanks for picking me up."

Zexion nodded, slowing to a stop at an intersection. "Sure. Anytime. I mean it. Uh, which way?"

"Left."

He turned in that direction, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. He tried to remember what the first conversations with Axel, Larx, and Cloud had been about... "What's your favorite kind of music?"

Demyx blinked, surprised, "Uhh... I like rock music." he said, "Pretty much every kind of music, actually."

"My roommate Axel loves rock music. He also loves blasting it in our stereo even though he knows the noise drives me crazy." Zexion said, chuckling. "I grew up listening to classical and jazz, so I know that best, although I can't really say it's a favorite of mine."

Demyx chuckled, "I have my favorite kinds, but honestly, if it has some kind of a beat, then I love it."

Zexion nodded. "What's your favorite food?"

Demyx thought for a minute, "Not really sure."

"Well, if you could go out to eat anywhere you wanted, which type of restaurant would you pick?"

"Umm..." he thought for a minute, "Mexican, I guess."

Zexion looked thoughtful, nodding his head. "Which way now?"

"Right."

"Favorite color?"

"Green." Demyx said, "Take a left up here. What's yours?"

"Blue." _Like your eyes._"Last good book you read?"

Demyx was about to think about that, but had to stop, "That's my house there."

"Here?" Zexion asked, pulling up in front of a house slightly bigger than the one he was currently sharing with three roommates, the yard immaculate.

"Yeah." Demyx said, "Thanks for the ri-"

He was cut off by a cry from right inside the house and a woman ran over to the car. "Demyx! There you are! Come on, you're coming with me tonight. Who's this?"

"Zexion. He's a friend." Demyx said, "Mom, can you wait a minute, please?"

"Your father will be home in a minute and I don't particularly want to see him. I'll be in my car, grab some clothes and stuff." With that, the woman walked over to her car and sat down inside it.

Demyx glanced over at Zexion, "Sorry about that. Thanks for the ride. See you in school tomorrow." he got out of the car and ran into his house before Zexion could respond.

XXXX

Roxas hurried to his friend's usual spot behind the science building, hoping they were there. His grin grew wider as he saw they were all there, Hayner talking adamantly about something.

"You guys!" The blonde called, rushing over to the group. "I've got awesome news!"  
"Yeah? 'Cause like I was just telling these two, I got some news of my own, though it isn't very awesome." Hayner said, taking in the glowing appearance of Roxas.  
"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy. You bake the perfect cake or something? Did you bring any?" Pence asked.

Olette just rolled her eyes at her brother and smiled up at Roxas, "Okay, so what's the news?"

"I've got a boyfriend." Roxas announced proudly.

"R-really? That's, ah, great." Hayner said, trying to be supportive.

"Congrats, bud." Pence said, smiling. "Although, I would have rather enjoyed the cake..."

"Dude, shut up!" Hayner said, punching Pence's arm.

Roxas laughed at their antics, simply glowing in front of them, still in awe at the fact that he now had a boyfriend. Him! A boyfriend!

"That's awesome, Roxas!" Olette grinned, "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, it is! And he's so amazing! I can't wait to introduce him to you guys!" Roxas gushed.

"Y-yeah. Well. That's... nice. Anyway, can I tell my news now?" Hayner asked, clearly uncomfortable talking about Roxas's new boyfriend but unwilling to do anything to upset his best friend.

Roxas laughed. "I'm sorry, Hayner. Sure! What's your news?"

"Yeah, c'mon, spill already." Pence demanded, crossing his arms and glaring at the soccer player, who had refused to tell them anything until Roxas was there, too.

"Today, I talked to my stalker." Hayner said seriously.

Olette's grin got wider, "Really? How did that go? Did he kidnap you to use for ransom against our family? How did you escape?"

Hayner scowled. "No, he did not kidnap me." He snapped. "I was practicing in the small field before soccer practice really started and noticed him watching me. Before I could do anything, he just came over and talked to me. Then the bastard had the nerve to deny that he's stalking me! So we came to the agreement that next time I see him, I have the right to find out why the hell his schedule is so close to mine to see if he's telling the truth or if he really is stalking me."

"That sounds... complicated." Pence said.

"You idiot!" Roxas said, smacking Hayner's arm. "I told you he's not stalking you! Why can't you just leave the poor guy alone?"

"No, no, he's definitely stalking him." Olette said, "We counter-stalked him, Hayner, don't you remember?" she gave Roxas a look over Hayner's shoulder that clearly said, 'don't ruin this for me.'

Roxas rolled his eyes but nodded, deciding he would concentrate on Axel and let his idiot friends do whatever the hell they wanted so long as they left him out of it.

"I know! He had the nerve to accuse me of stalking him! I told him I was just trying to figure out why a random guy like him was following me, but he didn't seem convinced... He actually sounds like you, Roxas - he said I was hallucinating." Hayner said.

"Well, you are." Roxas muttered. Louder he said, "Imagine that."

Olette giggled, "He's just crazy, Hayner. You'll catch him in the act next time."

"Yeah!" Hayner said, fists clenched in determination. "His name is Seifer, by the way."

"Well, as lovely as this has been, I'm going to head home and give my boyfriend a call." Roxas said with a grin. "Good luck with that, Hayner. I hope you figure things out."

Pence slapped Hayner on the back. "I second that. C'mon, Roxas, I'll give you a lift. Later!"

Hayner just shook his head at the retreating forms of his friends. "You believe me, right Olette?"

"Of course I do!" Olette grinned.

Hayner nodded. "Good. I should probably head to the field for second practice. See you at home?"

"Yep. Have fun at practice." Olette smiled.

XXXX

Xigbar wiped his hands on a rag, tossing the rag onto the desk and opening the door of the car he'd been working on. Sitting down, he started it, nodding in appreciation as it started immediately. Shutting it off, he left the keys in the ignition and the door open and walked over the desk, plopping into the chair.

The sound of a motorcycle outside broke him from his thoughts. "Ah, fuck." he muttered.

Cloud turned off his bike and got off, taking the helmet he had lent Leon from the brunette and placing it along with his own on the bike's now empty seat. He led the way into the Rusty Wrench, immediately catching sight of Xigbar at the desk and headed over there.

"Look who I brought to visit, Xigbar." The blonde said with an evil grin.

Xigbar looked up, "Oh, hi Leon." he nodded, turning back to his book.

"Don't you even." Leon said, grabbing the book from Xigbar's hands, "Explain yourself."

"Okay, so Cloud told you about the magazines. They were just a harmless prank, Leon, come on." Xigbar crossed his arms.

"This isn't about the magazines." Leon grumbled.

Xigbar blinked, genuinely surprised, "Then... what is it about?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb. You're just making this harder on yourself. You want me to corner and hold him while you punch?" Cloud said, directing the last part to Leon.

"Whoah, okay! Before you start punching me, I really would love to know why you're punching me!"

Cloud rolled his eyes again, facing Leon. "It's your call. He's your roommate, and it was your office, after all."

Xigbar watched, completely confused, "Your office?"

Leon glared at him, "Yes, my office. The one where I almost threw your surprise out the window."

Xigbar frowned, "You could've thrown the magazines out the window... I would've been okay with that."

"Not the magazines." Leon snapped.

"I meant it when I said playing dumb is just making things worse for yourself, Xig. I thought Leon was going to kill Zack... How'd you get him to do it, by the way? I mean, I know he's an idiot, but he's usually not that stupid." Cloud said. "That reminds me - after we leave here and find Seifer, we should find Zack, too." The blonde said to Leon.

"Zack?" Xigbar repeated, "Who's Zack? I don't know a Zack."

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Xigbar, are you honestly trying to say that you had nothing to do with Cloud's friend deciding to strip for the two of us in my office?"

Xigbar stared for a minute, not sure if Leon was serious, before bursting into laughter. Once he calmed himself, he spoke, "I can honestly say that I had nothing to do with that."

"You know, I'm having a really hard time believing you. And even if I did believe you... I still want to punch something. And you're sitting right here. Convenient, huh?" Cloud growled.

"Hey, now." Xigbar said, putting his hands up, "Come on, Leon, call him off!"

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Why should I do that? Even if you had nothing to do with the stripper, you did still organize the other stuff."

Xigbar looked past Leon and Cloud at the clock, "Sure, but you've already been here for 20 minutes. If you want to have enough time to find Seifer and kill him, you're going to need it."

"Call me off? What am I, a dog?" Cloud yelled, slamming his fist into the desk. "Tch. I'm not Leon's to order around, thank you very much."

"Sorry, sorry!" Xigbar said, "Seriously, though, who would you rather kill, me or Seifer? 'Cause you only have enough time for one of us and I promise I didn't have anything to do with what's got you both on a murderous rampage."

Cloud clenched his jaw and turned his back on Xigbar. "It's your call." He told Leon stiffly, anger still evident in his voice.

"Seifer, then." Leon said, "You can kill Xigbar at work later."

Xigbar seemed slightly relieved, and hoped that the threat was empty, but knew that he should probably find another apartment to sleep in for the night. Time to call in favors.

Cloud nodded and strolled out of the shop and towards his bike without a backwards glance at his coworker. Throwing his spare helmet to Leon, he pulled his on and straddled his bike. "Where to?" He asked, starting the engine.

"He's probably at the apartment." Leon said, pulling the helmet on and climbing on behind Cloud, "Head down this street."

As they left, Xigbar pulled his phone out, dialing Seifer's number.

"_Oh, hey Xig. Dude, you won't believe-"_

"Seifer, if you're at the apartment right now, RUN. Run and hide somewhere that Leon won't be able to find you."

"_Uhhh... why?"_

"Just do it. He and Cloud are on their way. Something about a stripper-really, Seifer, a stripper?-and wanting to kill us both."

"_What? But I didn't send a stripper!"_

"Then who the fuck did?"

XXXX

Cloud and Leon pulled up to the latter's apartment building, and Cloud quickly cut the engine.  
Without bothering to take off his helmet just yet, he turned to glance at Leon who was still on the bike behind him. "He here, or did Xigbar give him a head's up to get the hell outta dodge?"

"Looks like Xigbar called him." Leon said, "We could check the college-he's taking business classes 'cause he's tired of working at the Box Depot, but I doubt he went there."

"I doubt he'd go someplace you'd think to look. Let me call Zack and find out where the idiot is." Cloud said. He took off his helmet, handing it to Leon as he dug in his jeans pocket for his cell phone. Quickly dialing, he waited for Zack to pick up.

"_Heyya, Cloudy. Wasn't expecting you to be calling for a while."_ Zack said, laughing.

"Yeah. Just wanted to make sure you were okay after your... hasty exit." Cloud said.

"_Heh. Yeah. I'm good. What about your brunette friend? You get him to calm down? You two involved or something?"_

"What? No. We're just friends. Listen, Zack, I'm sorry for overreacting. It was a stupid prank, nothing more."

"_Aw it's no problem, Cloudy! And why aren't you guys together? If I wasn't married and swung that way I'd be all over him!"_

"Zack! Focus! Look, it's my day off and now that the excitement's died down, I've got nothing to do. Where are you, you at your place?"

"_Nah, me and Aerith are visiting her brothers. You should come by, though."_ Zack quickly relayed the address. _"See you in a bit!"_

Cloud hung up, not bothering to reply. Tucking his phone away, he took his helmet back from Leon and pulled it on. "Let's go pay my idiot of a friend a visit, shall we?"

Leon chuckled, "Sounds good to me."

XXXX

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the house.

Cloud cut the engine and stood up, once more placing his and Leon's helmets onto his bike before leading the way up to the apartment Zack had said he was in.

He knocked on the door, and a minute later it was answered by a guy with silver hair.

"Hi. We're friends of Zack's. He said he was here...?" Cloud said.

Riku blinked. "Uh. Sure. C'mon in." Closing the door, he turned to yell into the apartment as he made his way back into the kitchen, "Zack! Your friends are here!"

Zack popped his head out from around the corner, coming over to the entryway. "Cloudy! You made good time! But I thought Riku said - " He cut off as he caught sight of Leon.

"Ah... Cloud?" Zack asked, confused.

"Zack. We want to ask you a few questions, all right? Good." Cloud said, grabbing Zack's arm in his grip. "Any place we can talk... privately?"

Zack audibly gulped. "Ah. Heh. S-sure." Zack led them to Reno's bedroom, figuring the redhead wouldn't mind if they borrowed it, and closed the door once they were all inside.

"What's going on?" Zack asked.

"My roommate seemed to have no idea what we were talking about when we went to go kill him." Leon said.

"Kill him?" Zack repeated, confused. "But, Cloudy, I thought you said you understood it was just a harmless prank."

"Well, here's the thing, Zack. Leon here is having a little problem with his roommates. They seem to think it's cute to pull ridiculous pranks on us in a misguided attempt to get us together. And while you have been known to prank me in the past, becoming a stripper is not something you'd ever think of on your own. So, we need to know - who put you up to it?"

"Why couldn't I have thought of it?" Zack grumbled, crossing his arms.

"That's just not how your brain works. Besides, you usually do pranks that are fun for you. How is stripping in front of us fun for you? You're not gay; you're married! Also there's no way you'd know I'd be in Leon's office. Just spill. Tell us who told you to do this and we'll drop it. Right?" Cloud said, glancing at Leon, hoping the brunette was fine with sparing his idiotic friend. Zack might be a moron, but he still was one of Cloud's best friends.

Leon nodded. All things considered, compared to what he was planning on doing to his roommates next he saw them, Zack may as well have been a close friend. He wasn't, but that wasn't the point.

Zack sighed, caving. "It was your roommate, Larxene. She called me and told me she had the perfect opportunity for me to prank you, if I was willing. I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't think it through."

Cloud's fists clenched in anger, but he managed to keep his voice even. "It's all right, Zack. Just don't go doing something like that again."

Zack nodded and grinned sheepishly.

Cloud let out a breath. "Since you didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances, this is Leon. Leon, this is Zack."

Zack held out his hand to the brunette. "Pleasure to meet you. Make sure you take care of our blonde, here." He said with a wink.

"Somehow I don't think he needs someone to take care of him. He's pretty damn capable of taking care of himself." Leon said.

No one was able to react to that, though, as there was pounding on the door, "ZACK, I SWEAR IF YOU'RE SECRETLY GAY AND CHEATING ON MY SISTER WITH THOSE TWO GUYS YOU DRAGGED IN THERE, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAIL YOUR BODY TO WISCONSIN."

Zack just laughed and pulled open the door, revealing a lanky redhead with a cocky grin on his face as Cloud gave Leon a reappraising look at his comment.

"Reno, will you calm down? I'm not stupid enough to jeopardize my relationship with Aerith for anyone else. It's just Cloudy! You remember him, don't you?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded at the redhead. "Long time, no see Reno. How're you?"

"Hey, it has been awhile!" Reno grinned, waving, "I've been good. What about you?"

"Honestly, aside from having to leave shortly to kill a few people for their lack of tact, I can't complain." the blonde relied with a grin.

"Oh, right - Reno, that's Leon. Leon, my best friend and brother-in-law, Reno." Zack said, making the introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Reno smiled. Leon just nodded. Reno turned back to Cloud, "I'm surprised you didn't kill Zack over it. Aerith almost did."

Cloud's grin widened. "I'll let her deal with him while we go deal with Leon's roommates and apparently some of my own. I don't know what gave any of them the idea it would be simple to prank us without repercussions." Cloud said, shaking his head.

"Heh. Just go easy on them, Cloudy. Wouldn't want to have to bail you outta jail again." Zack said with a wink.

Leon raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask.

Reno laughed, "Sounds good. I'll make sure she knows that you came here in a murderous rage."

"Thanks for that." Cloud said. "We should be going. Thanks for clearing that up, Zack. See you around."

Zack grinned. "Yeah. Don't be a stranger! We need to hang out more! You, too, Leon, since you're involved with my boy there!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone insist that?"

Zack's grin widened and he just shook his head at the blonde's naivety. He'd bet everything he owned those two would be together before the year was over.

Reno grinned at the look on Zack's face.

"Larxene should still be at work." Leon said, "I'm half hoping she isn't, 'cause then I can fire her. Otherwise I don't really have a legitimate reason."

Cloud nodded. "All right. Let's go, then." With a wave and a grin, he led Leon out of the apartment. Once in the hallway, he immediately spoke up. "Sorry about Zack. As you've probably already gathered, he has a few very important brain cells missing."

Leon chuckled, "It's alright. We should get going before Larxene hears and runs."

"Right." Cloud said as they reached his bike, handing a helmet to Leon. "Man, my bike sure is getting a workout today." He said, slipping on his own helmet and climbing on, revving the engine.

XXXX

They pulled up to The Hardware Store Place and once again got off the bike and stored their helmets. By now they were so used to each other's movements on the bike that they moved in complete sync on it. Cloud followed Leon into the store, looking around and not seeing Larxene.  
"Where would she be?" He asked the brunette.  
"She should be restocking." Leon said, "Where she is, though, I don't know."  
Cloud frowned, shrugging. "I'll follow you, then, as I don't know my way around here."

Leon nodded, leading him through the aisles, looking for Cloud's female roommate.

Cloud followed, doing his best not to stare at Leon's ass. When Leon abruptly stopped in front of him, he quickly stepped to the side in order to avoid crashing into him. He saw Larxene ahead in the aisle, and grinned as she turned to face them.

"Hey! Back from lunch?" she asked.

"Yes. Anything blow up while I was gone?" Leon asked.

Larxene rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I think you'd be able to tell."

"That's too bad."

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Cloud turned to Leon. "I take it you can't technically fire her now, huh?"

"Not yet, no." Leon shook his head.

"Hey, I haven't done anything worth firing me over." Larxene crossed her arms.

"That's the problem." Leon mumbled.

"Hmmm..." Cloud thought aloud. "What if you just assign her the really horrible jobs? Like bathroom cleaning duty?"

"Hey, why are you both-" she paused, then fell silent for a moment. "Zack spilled, didn't he?" she sighed, rubbing her temple.

"Boys bathroom needs work, Larxene. I suggest you get on it." Leon said.

Larxene grumbled, "Fine. But you two will thank me later!" she said.

"I will never thank you for dragging Zack into this. He's pretty innocent, unlike the rest of us. He would never have done that without severe prompting from you, and I don't appreciate you cutting him loose and letting him take the fall. You fucked up, Larx, the moment you decided to get more involved than you already were as my roommate. I'll see you at home." Cloud said, anger making his voice gruffer and more menacing. As soon as he was done talking, he completely turned his back, staring emptily at the tools on display and resolutely ignoring the woman behind him.

"I didn't drag Zack into anything! He agreed to it-I didn't force him into anything." Larxene snapped. "You know what, cleaning the bathroom sounds better than arguing with you right now." She turned on her heel and stalked off.

Cloud's shoulders tensed at her words, and his hands curled into fists. He took a deep breath and held it, trying not to explode in Leon's workplace.

Leon, noticing Cloud looked like he was about to explode, steered the man down the aisle towards his office and let him in, shutting the door behind them.

"God_dammit_!" The blonde yelled, kicking the desk. "Fuck! Fuck this shit! Little, no good, cunt bitch!" Cloud swore, his frame shaking as he restrained himself from incurring any damage to Leon's office.

"Cloud." Leon said, pushing him into a chair, "You need to calm down."

Cloud nodded once sharply and crossed his arms. He knew he needed to calm down, but goddammit was he pissed! He thought he'd be fine, maybe prank her a few times around the house and that'd be that, but she just had to go and say that shit about Zack!

"Sorry." Cloud muttered. He took a deep breath, released it. "Sorry." He said again, more calmly. "Shoulda warned you - I'm extremely protective of my friends, especially Zack since he's so naive. That man would do anything anyone suggested to him, as long as they made it sound fun. I know you're curious - I spent five days in jail for a bar fight in which some asshole decided that Zack was his new toy. Let's just say he moved into the hospital for a few months for making that mistake."

"You sure you'll be okay going home today?" Leon asked, "You look like you'll kill her next time you see her." He paused, "I doubt Xigbar and Seifer will come back to the apartment tonight, so you're more than welcome to stay over there."

Cloud looked up at Leon at his words, thinking it over before nodding slowly. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I've never hit a woman before and I really don't want to start now. Thanks, Leon. Lemme just call Axel to him a heads-up. Think I can just hang out back here until your shift's over?"

"Of course. I was planning on just taking off the rest of the day anyway." he said, "You don't mind hanging out until I make arrangements?"

"It's fine. Do whatever you have to do. I don't want to get in your way." Cloud said, digging out his cell phone.

"Okay. Give me ten minutes, then." Leon said, before leaving his office.

Cloud sighed before dialing Axel's number. "Axel? It's Cloud. I'm not coming home tonight. And watch out for Larxene when she does get home, she'll probably still be pissed. Just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"_...What the fuck happened?" _Axel asked, _"Ah, shit. This is __not__ going to ruin today for me."_

"Ask Larx. I just calmed down, I'm not talking about it right now or else I'll end up destroying Leon's office and I don't think he'll appreciate that or let me crash on his couch tonight if I did. And I take it you had a good day? Please tell me some good news here. I need it." Cloud said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Axel immediately did so, knowing Cloud's temper from experience, _"Yeah, remember the guy I ended up convinced was my boyfriend and then drunk myself sick over? Officially my boyfriend."_

"Really? That's great! Congrats. You'll have to bring him around once everything calms down so I can meet him and make sure he's worthy."

"_Haha, I promise."_ Axel said, _"But trust me, he definitely is."_

"Good." Cloud said, opening his eyes when he heard the office door open, relieved to see it was only Leon. "I gotta go. Make sure my stuff doesn't get trashed, okay? And hey, if you're feeling up to it, freeze her bras or something, from me."

Axel laughed, _"Will do. Have fun."_ There was a click and he hung up.

Leon nodded at him, "Ready to go?"

Cloud stood up, nodding and replacing his cell in his pocket. "Yeah. You drive here or you need a lift?"

"I drove." Leon said, "You can follow behind me on your bike if you want or I can just drive you there."

"I don't want to leave my bike here." Cloud answered.

"Alright. You mind following? The apartment's not very far." Leon said. "Otherwise I can just leave my car here overnight."

"I'll be fine following you. Is it really okay for you to just take the rest of the day off? I don't want you to get in trouble for my sake. I'd be fine hanging here for a bit. I do know how to behave myself, I promise." Cloud said.

Leon chuckled, "It's fine. I've got plenty of personal hours."

Cloud nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Leon." He said in complete sincerity.

"No problem." Leon said, "Now come on. Let's get out of here."

XXXX

Sora leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, not really sure how long he'd been sitting there. First Riku reacts all weird to something and Sora (still) had no idea why, and then Kairi snaps at him on the phone. So, that was two friends apparently mad at him.

He finally pulled himself off of the couch, jogging up the stairs and entering his mother's bedroom, opening the closet and opening the minifridge in there. He pulled a beer out and then shut it and the closet, heading back down the stairs as he popped it open.

The front door opened and Roxas bounced inside, kicking off his shoes. "Sora! You home?"

"Yeah, Rox!" Sora called back, "In the kitchen." he leaned backwards on the counter.

"Sora!" Roxas yelled excitedly, rushing into the kitchen. "Guess what?"

Sora raised an eyebrow, "What's got you so excited, kid?"

Roxas grinned hugely. "I've got a boyfriend!"

Sora pushed himself off the counter, surprised, "Wow. Great for you." he smiled. "Who?"

Roxas giggled. "Axel..."

Sora paused, "Riku's coworker? Isn't he like... six years older than you?"

"Yeah, so?" Roxas pouted. "He's smart and funny and understanding and actually listens when I talk, not to mention he's absolutely gorgeous! Seriously, Sora, even you have to notice how hot my boyfriend is." Roxas grinned once more as soon as he said the word 'boyfriend'. He was so happy, and Sora was not going to ruin this for him.

Sora raised an eyebrow at him, "Just be careful, kid. I barely know Axel, so that's all I can say." Mentions of Axel (namely the "Riku's coworker" part) had brought his problems with his two best friends back to the front of his head. He leaned back against the counter again, clutching at his beer like it was going to fall out of his hand without realizing it.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You can re-meet him as my older brother and properly scare him, if it'll make you feel better." Roxas studied his brother closer, noticing how stiffly he was standing. "Sora...? Are you okay? Oh God, did something happen? Is Mom okay?"

Sora glanced up at his younger brother, surprised, "No, no, Mom's fine!" he said, "Sorry, there's some shit going on with Kai and Riku right now, that's all." he forced a smile, "Mom's fine, she's just at work."

"Oh." Roxas sighed, relieved. But Sora didn't look so good... "What's going on? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine." Sora said, "Just some arguments." he lied, "It'll be fine, I don't wanna bring you down talking about it. So, tell me about Axel." He didn't particularly want to talk about his little brother's boyfriend, but anything to get the topic off of Riku and Kairi.

Roxas frowned and crossed to his brother, hugging him tightly before the brunette could react. Roxas pulled back, looking at his brother seriously. "If you wanna talk about it later, you know where to find me." Roxas suddenly grinned. "Now, at least pretend to smile so I can gush about Axel under the false impression that you actually want to know!"

Sora smiled and nodded, "Alright, go for it." he said, "And thanks."

Roxas shrugged. "He's just awesome. He showed up on campus today to take me out to lunch since I cooked him dinner twice. We went to that pizza place by campus. You'll be happy to hear he was ever the gentleman: he paid for me and didn't make any moves on me besides holding my hand." Roxas blushed. "We haven't kissed yet."

Sora just nodded, not really listening but trying to make it look like he was. He was happy for his brother, he was. Really.

"Sora?" Roxas asked, having the sinking feeling that his brother wasn't hearing a word he was saying. He thought his brother wouldn't care for the details, not that he would completely ignore him! "Right, so after we ate we went and got matching tattoos. Of each other's names. On our asses."

Sora went to nod, but then snapped out of it, raising an eyebrow, "I'm not covering for you with Mom."

Roxas laughed. "Oh, so you were listening? I lied; just testing you. We didn't get tattoos. He got his dick pierced and then fucked me in the back of his car. Man, I'm gonna be sore for a week, but it was so worth it!"

Sora smacked his brother, "I might be drinking right now, but I'm not stupid, Rox." he rolled his eyes, "If that actually happened, I'll just let Mom deal with you when she gets back from work."

Roxas snickered, rubbing his head. "I promise I didn't have sex with Axel on the first date. Honestly, though, I'm surprised at you. You're sober enough to realize what I'm telling you, yet you're not pissed at the mental image I gifted you with. What, you like what you see or something? He's mine, so don't get any ideas."

Sora just smacked him again, "Just go call Hayner and squeal to him about it. I'm going in my room."

"Aw, Sora! I'm sorry! I'll behave, I promise! Besides, I already told Hayner about Axel. He didn't seem that impressed or interested. Too worried about his 'stalker', I guess. C'mon! I'll let you kick my ass at Mario Kart or something!" Roxas said, blocking the way out of the kitchen.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Come on, then, kid." he said.

XXXX

When did these chapters start getting so long? Cami here.

So, we've got chapter nine and ten finished already, which is good, because as long as we continue to stay two chapters ahead, we won't have to miss a week. But I'm going out of town in a few weeks for two weeks, and if we fall behind our two-week-ahead schedule, I dunno what we'll do.

More on that in a later update, though, I guess.

So, what'd you guys think? Let us know! :)


	9. Larxene Is An Evil Mastermind Genius

Jasmine here. I've determined that our chapter lengths can not in any way be labeled as 'stable' or 'regular' or 'reliable'. Some scenes run away from us - others miraculously behave. Sorry about that.

Special thanks to Alice (aliceupsidedown) and Eriyu (Eriyu) and Spoons (mumblybee) for your lovely comments and positive feedback and general support. (Thanks to everyone else reading, too. You should check these guys out.)

Cami and I sadly do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

XXXX

Larxene unlocked the apartment door, pushing it open with her hand as she balanced two pizza boxes in her other arm.

"AXEL! ZEXION! PIZZA!" She called out, tossing the boxes onto the counter and kicking the door shut behind her as she pulled off her shoes. She'd hitched a ride home with a coworker, managing to convince said coworker to make a detour to the closest pizza place 'cause she was craving it. Figuring Cloud wouldn't be home, she'd gone ahead and picked up food for her other two roommates as well.

Axel came out, raising an eyebrow, "You bought pizza?"

Larxene turned, "Yes? I'm not always a bitch, you know. I occasionally do nice things."

"Sorry, Cloud called and said you were probably going to be all bitchy. Also that he's not coming home. This brings up two rather important questions-one, why aren't you being all bitchy, and two, what the fuck did you do to Cloud?" Axel laughed.

Larxene opened the pizza box, "Eat and I will explain." She walked over to the wall that the TV was against, banging against it loudly, "ZEXION! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, I BOUGHT PIZZA."

"Good God, woman! I heard you the first time you screeched it! I'm at the best part, dammit! Give me a minute!" was the shouted response.

Larxene rolled her eyes, "Not my fault if your pizza's cold by the time you put your book down!" she called back, walking back into the kitchen and plopping into a chair.

"So, are you waiting until Zex gets here before explaining, or will you just tell me?" Axel asked her.

She shrugged, leaning back, "Unless Cloud called him, I don't think Zex knows what's going on."

Zexion huffed into the kitchen, scowling at his two roommates. He grabbed enough paper plates for them all and unceremoniously flung them at his roommates, taking a seat and grabbing a piece of pizza. Around the large bite he took, he managed to say, "Haven't eaten all day. Book's awesome. Thanks for the pizza. Where's Cloud?"

Larxene laughed, "I'd imagine he's somewhere in my boss's apartment right now." she said, and before Axel could interrupt her, she continued, "Which I am about to explain."

"Good." he mumbled, eating his pizza.

"So, did Cloud tell you about the bet that Leon's roommates have going on about when the two of them are going to hook up?" Larxene asked.

"He mentioned something about his coworker giving him chocolates or something." Axel shrugged.

Larxene chuckled and launched into an explanation of how she'd gotten in on the bet.

"And that's why he's mad at you?" Axel asked, "That hardly seems like Cloud."

"No, no." Larxene shook her head, "I bet they'd be together by Halloween, which is in like... two weeks. So, I knew I needed to speed up the getting-together process a bit."

"Oh no." Axel sighed.

"Oh yes." Larxene grinned, "So, I pulled in a favor with Zack, Cloud's old friend. Asked him to strip for the two of them in Leon's office, thus leading them on a wild goose chase to kill people that lead back to me. But I chose Zack and not, well, you," she gestured to Axel, "because I knew it would get Cloud beyond pissed and then he'd be forced to go stay at Leon's for the night, thus bringing them that much closer together. So, technically, I did it all for Cloud, even if there will be some monetary gain for me in the end."

"So you're okay with the fact that Cloud will mostly likely kill you before you can explain, and will definitely kill you after you explain?" Zexion asked, grabbing and practically inhaling another slice of pizza.

"Well, I'm taking as many precautions as possible to avoid that." Larxene said, "I'm planning on calling Zack and explaining everything I just told you guys, possibly adding an apology in there."

"You just want to make sure you live to collect the money from your boss's roommates." Axel rolled his eyes.

Larxene grinned, "Never denied that."

"Why would calling Zack really help you?" Zexion asked, confused. "I mean, I understand that you asked him to pull the prank instead of Axel because Axel is so scrawny and mouthy, but I thought Zack and Cloud were just old friends? There's nothing more there, is there?"

"Errr." Larxene paused, glancing at Axel for help.

"She's just hoping to rally as many people to her side as possible." Axel said, "She's Larxene, the evil bitch queen, and I'm the only one who can say that."

Larxene smacked him.

Zexion's gaze narrowed. "What aren't you telling me?"

"What makes you think we're not telling you something?" Larxene asked.

"You, who revel in actually knowing something I don't, looked to the idiot over there for help answering my question. What are you two hiding?" Zexion demanded, dropping his half-eaten pizza and crossing his arms, glaring at his roommates. He may only be 18, but that didn't give them the right to treat him like a kid.

"It's not really our business to explain, Zex. It's something between Cloud and Zack." Axel said, "It happened while you were working on your master's, and Cloud didn't want to bother you."

"But isn't that what friends do?" Zexion frowned. "Turn to each other when something happens? This is why I don't understand people." Zexion threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "They don't follow a set of rules. Nothing's logical. They say one thing and do another!"

Axel shook his head, "Friends do turn to each other when something happens, Zex. But sometimes friends do really, _really_ stupid things as well."

Larxene couldn't help but giggle at that.

"I was talking about you, bitchmuffin." Axel rolled his eyes.

"I know." Larxene grinned.

Axel turned back to Zexion, "Just ask him when he gets back to kill Larx."

Still frowning, Zexion nodded slowly. "That makes sense, especially since you're all idiots. It's just like Demyx earlier..." He muttered, mostly to himself.

Willing to use any opening to change the subject, Larxene spoke up in her teasing tone, "Ooooh? And who's Demyx, Zexy?"

"Oh no, don't you start with me. He's just a student of mine at the high school. Well, really I'm only a substitute teacher, so he's not technically my student, but you understand the point." Zexion explained.

"Aren't the students you're teaching like... your age?" Larxene asked, standing up and walking to the fridge, silently asking her friends if they wanted a drink.

"Yes, the children are technically my age. The same group that humiliated and ostracized me." Zexion snapped.

"Awww, Zexy." Larxene put her arms around him from behind, "Now all you have to do is channel that into your teaching and they'll all get what's coming to them."

"Larxene!" Axel said, surprised.

"What? Of everything I've done today, this surprises you?" she asked, not letting go of Zexion.

Zexion forced himself out of Larxene's grip. "I can't do that. It would be unprofessional. Besides, I suppose they aren't all bad..."

Larxene laughed, "So, since you two ignored the silent cues of me actually getting up and walking to the fridge, if you want a drink, speak now or throw your laziness out the window."

"Obviously since we didn't say anything when you so blatantly gestured at the refrigerator, we don't want anything to drink. Right, Axel?" was Zexion's snarky reply.

Axel just grinned as he continued to eat his pizza.

Larxene stuck her tongue out, "Less for my lazy ass to do, then." she said, grabbing a beer and plopping into her seat.

Zexion felt his phone go off in his pocket, and he hurriedly pulled it free, checking to see who it was. His face fell as he was disappointed to see it was just his service provider advertising a new feature that they were offering.

"You okay?" Larxene asked him.

Zexion made a noncommittal noise. "I was hoping it was someone else."

Larxene raised an eyebrow, urging him to go on.

Zexion pointedly looked across the table at Axel. "So, Axel. Aside from the phone call from Cloud, how as your day?"

"Pretty good." Axel said with a small smirk.

"I know that smirk." Larxene said, her eyes widening, "That's your, 'This day was fucking awesome' smirk. What happened?"

"I really have a boyfriend this time. Not just in my head." Axel said, grinning.

"Same guy?" Zexion asked curiously.

"Yep! Only this time, he's aware of it." Axel chuckled.

"When are you bringing him by?" Larxene asked, "I have to check to make sure he's worthy and all that."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "You aren't my parents, Larx."

"Yes, well, I'm the closest thing you have to an older sister-"

"You're younger than me."

"And I plan to fill that place to the best of my ability."

"I swear, Larx, if you call in a favor and have a stripper ambush us, I will kick you out."

Larxene stuck her tongue out, "No strippers."

"Good." Axel laughed.

"Technically it's not your house, so you can't really kick her out." Zexion mused. "But on that note, I shall let you two bicker the night away while I go finish that book. Make sure I do eventually get to meet this boyfriend of yours Axel." Zexion stood up, throwing out his garbage as he spoke and getting ready to retreat back into his room.

"You never told us who you were hoping would call you." Larxene reminded him.

"Imagine that." Zexion said, leaving the kitchen and making his way quickly through the living room, intent on getting into his room and locking the room behind him.

"I think you scared him with your story of Cloud and Leon." Axel shook his head.

"I'll get it out of him eventually." Larxene smiled. "Seriously. Make plans to bring your boyfriend over here pronto."

"Alright, alright." Axel laughed.

XXXX

Cloud pulled his bike alongside Leon's car in the parking garage and cut the engine, standing and removing his helmet while also tucking his keys into his pocket. He tried rolling his shoulders to get the tension out of them, but his anger was not ready to completely dissipate, leaving him still irritated. After setting his helmet on his bike, he looked to Leon to lead him, as when they had stopped by here before, they hadn't actually entered the brunette's apartment.

Leon frowned at the tension still on Cloud's face, silently leading him to his apartment and motioning him inside, locking the door behind them.

Cloud looked around, surprised at how neat everything was. He kicked off his shoes and stepped into the living room, noticing a small hallway leading back to what he assumed were the bedrooms and a doorway on the left leading to the kitchen. Suddenly unsure what to do with himself, he stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He knew he couldn't go home right now, but maybe coming here had been a mistake... After all, he barely knew Leon!

"You don't need to stand there awkwardly, you know." Leon said, glancing back at him, "Nothing's going to bite you, and Xigbar and Seifer aren't here. You want a drink?"

Cloud scowled. "I know they aren't here. If they were, do you seriously think I would be at this point?" He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Guess I'm still a little worked up. You have any beer?"

"Yep. Take a seat. I'll be right back." Leon walked through the doorway into the kitchen.

Cloud took a deep breath and sat on the couch, shifting to try to get comfortable but giving up after a moment. He tried his best not to think about anything, because if he started thinking about Larxene or Zack or the pranks, he'd wind himself back up again. Glancing around for a distraction, noticing an abstract painting hanging on the wall. No way...

Leon walked back in holding two beers, and noticed where Cloud's gaze was. Handing him one of the cans, he sat down in a chair. "You alright?"

"That painting... is it by an artist named Axel, by any chance?" Cloud asked, taking his beer and popping it open, taking a generous sip.

Leon studied the painting for a moment, "Uhh... it might be. When we moved in here we had absolutely nothing to put on the walls. Seifer dug that out of a box and hung it up and we pretty much forgot about it after that."

Cloud shook his head. "I'm pretty sure it's one of Axel's. He's one of my roommates, so our house is covered with similar stuff. Wonder how Seifer got it?"

"Huh." Leon said, "No idea. When I'm feeling less like throwing him out the window I'll ask."

Cloud smirked. "Can I watch?"

Leon chuckled, "Of course."

The blonde's smirk grew for a moment, before slowly fading into a scowl as darker thoughts took over. He involuntarily tightened his grip on his beer can, the metal wincing in protest.

"Do you want to put on a movie, or something?" Leon asked, sensing Cloud's anger, "Get your mind off of things?"

Cloud forced himself to release his tight grip on the can, setting it onto the nearby endtable. "Sure. But you don't have to go out of your way for me - I'm only crashing here tonight. I'll be gone in the morning. Just do what you usually do. I'll be fine."

"A movie, then?" Leon chuckled, "What do you feel like watching?"

"Whatever. I don't care." Cloud answered, shaking his head at the brunette.

Leon stood up, walking over to the TV and picking up the two DVDs he saw first, "Uhhh, Terminator or the Fast and the Furious?"

"Fast and the Furious. Thanks, Leon." Cloud answered, scooting over to make room for him on the couch as it was the only piece of furniture actually facing the television.

Leon popped the movie in and sat down.

About halfway through the movie, Cloud stifled a yawn. The stress of the day had finally caught up with him and he was exhausted. "Leon, I take it this couch is my bed for the night?"

"If you don't mind. We don't have a guest room and I don't know if you want to take Xigbar or Seifer's room." Leon said.

Cloud raised a hand to wave off the offer, but ended up using it to block another yawn. "This'll be fine. I was kind of expecting the floor, anyway, so this is an improvement."

Leon shut the movie off, "Alright. I'll grab you a pillow and a blanket." he stood up and disappeared down the hall for a minute.

Cloud stretched out on the couch, his exhaustion blocking out how uncomfortable the small thing was to lay on, and closed his eyes, telling himself he would sit up the second Leon came back into the room.

When Leon came back in, Cloud was fast asleep. Rolling his eyes, he tossed the blanket over the blonde, nudging the pillow under his head, and shut the light as he left the room.

XXXX

Cloud rolled over, promptly falling onto the floor. Frowning in his sleep, he groped around for his pillow, smushing it once more under his head and kicking his feet to get more comfortable, hopelessly tangling himself in the blanket. His face smoothed as his body stilled and he reentered a deeper sleep.

Leon was startled awake by a loud thumping noise. He sat up, raising an eyebrow, and decided that if he didn't get up and figure out what it was, it would drive him crazy. He stood up, grumbling about it being two in the morning, and left his room, walking towards the living room.

It took him a second to realize what was wrong. "Cloud, wake up." he called, groaning, "You're on the floor."

Cloud twitched at the sound of his name, but otherwise remained motionless on the floor.

Leon groaned, considering just leaving him there, but decided he'd feel bad in the morning if he did that. Walking over, he shook the unconscious blonde, "Cloud. Wake up."

"Axel." The blonde muttered, eyes closed. "Go away."

Leon sighed, "It's Leon, Cloud. Wake up or I'm leaving you on the floor."

"Leon..." Cloud groaned. "Leon?" He said, brow furrowing. Opening his eyes, he peered into Leon's face. "Leon? Why are you in my bedroom?"

"You're in my living room. Now get back onto the couch." he rolled his eyes.

Cloud forced himself to sit up, wincing as his muscles protested loudly, cramped from laying on the floor. "Your living room? What happened to my bed? Why am I here again?"

"You're staying here tonight." Leon rolled his eyes again, "You'll remember in the morning. Just go back to sleep."

Cloud frowned and looked around slowly, becoming more awake as the seconds passed. He groaned, leaning back against the couch and dropping his head into his hands, resting his arms on his bent knees. "Shit." He muttered quietly.

"You alright?" Leon asked.

Cloud ran a hand through his messy blonde spikes. "It's what?" He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Two in the morning? I'm fine, Leon. Go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you up."

Leon shook his head, "If you want to talk, just talk. Two in the morning or not."

Cloud sighed. "Please. Go back to sleep. I already feel horrible for being the cause of you running around on your lunch break on a wild goose chase, causing you to take a day off from work, and for practically inviting myself over to crash on your couch. Please don't add 'made Leon stay up all night because I was a pansy who made him listen to me whine' to the list."

"You're hardly making me listen to you whine." Leon rolled his eyes, sitting down on the floor, "Talk."

Cloud pressed the heels of his hands into his eyeballs. "Why are you doing this? Is it just because of the pranks? Sure, we have mutual friends who happen to be assholes at times. But I don't get why you care so much. You barely know me. I could be a crazy mass murderer."

"Somehow I doubt you're a crazy mass murderer." Leon shrugged, "And I don't know why. But the longer you stall, the longer we both have to stay up, so you may as well get on with it."

"I don't know what to do." Cloud whispered, hugging his knees and refusing to look at Leon. "My life before meeting you was pretty simple. I worked and loved every minute of it, occasionally hung out with my roommates, worked on my bike. That was it. I was happy like that. Even when Xigbar and Seifer made their bet and started pranking, it was annoying sure but kind of funny. I didn't mind it all that much. But involving Zack... You don't know him. He's so happy, so eager to please anyone. When we were kids, he used to get picked on all the time. Those who weren't making fun of him were abusing him kindness. 'Zack, can I borrow this? Give me that!' And he always said yes. He doesn't know how to say no.

"I've always defended him. Because he's my best friend and I can't stand seeing him hurt. I told you I was in jail for five days right? Those were the worst nights of my life, because I was so worried something more would happen to him when I couldn't be there. Then he met Reno and his sister Aerith, and it was instant love with them. You could practically feel it. So I know he's happy and safe now with his new family. But Larxene just had to pull him from that comfort... He had a really shitty homelife as a kid, and he deserves to be happy, truly happy. In the store, earlier today... If you hadn't been in the aisle with us..." Cloud started shaking, his hands clenching into fists. He looked up at Leon, anger and sadness and pain and most of all, fear swimming in his eyes. "Leon, I'm scared to go home."

Leon hesitated, not really sure what to say, "I don't know Larxene very well, Cloud, but I don't think she did it to hurt Zack at all. Maybe you should call and talk to her on the phone before you go home. Maybe work it out with her when there's no chance of anything happening." he put his hand on Cloud's shoulder, "And until you're ready, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

"Yeah. That's a good idea. I'll figure it out. Thanks for the offer, but there's no way I'd impose like that. I'll be gone tomorrow morning, well, today. When the sun's up. Promise." Cloud said, resting his chin on his arms.

"At least stay until I leave for work." Leon said, "I don't need you getting into a crash or something 'cause you're too tired. Larxene's scheduled to work at 11 tomorrow, so she won't be in your apartment unless she skips. And if she skips, she's getting fired, so either way, you should leave after 11. Now get back to sleep."

Cloud stubbornly shook his head. "No. I don't want to mess with your morning routine. And honestly, I doubt I'll be getting any more sleep. I should actually just leave now, so you can go back to sleep."

"You honestly want to go back to your apartment right now?" Leon asked, "You just told me you didn't. Damn it, Cloud, don't make me stay up to make sure you don't leave."

"I'll sneak in, lock my bedroom door. It'll be fine. And it's your choice if you stay up all night, but it won't be because of me. I'm leaving." Cloud stood, disentangling himself from the blanket and placing both it and the pillow on the couch, stretching a little and wincing at the pain in his back.

"Well, good luck with that." Leon said, standing up as well, "You can't really leave without your bike's keys, and I took those when you passed out 'cause I knew you'd try to leave. Now go back to sleep. They'll be on the counter in the morning."

Cloud's gaze narrowed as he stuck his hands into his pockets, realizing his keys were missing. "Fuck, Leon!" He swore. "Give me the keys. I need to leave. This is already bordering on a favor instead of a common sense move. Give me my keys, Leon."

"No. Go to sleep." He walked back towards his room.

Taking large strides, Cloud easily reached out and grabbed the brunette's arm, preventing him from retreating into his bedroom. "Don't do this Leon. If I stay, I'll owe you something. I know better than anyone that nothing's free. Don't do this to me. Just give me the keys and let me leave."

"You're not going to owe me anything. If anything, you're doing ME a favor by staying here because now I won't have to worry about you getting into a crash because you're exhausted." Leon said, "Now go back to sleep."

"Why would you worry about me?" Cloud scoffed. "And don't feed me bullshit, either. It's a 'favor' if I stay?" Cloud crossed him arms. "What do you want? Free parts from the shop? Money for letting me stay the night? I don't have much on me at the moment. I'm not willing to give you anything else."

Leon cursed under his breath, pulling Cloud closer and kissing him for a moment. Pulling back a second later, he spoke, "There. You paid me back. Now go to sleep." he shut his bedroom door, locking it behind him so that Cloud couldn't sneak in and steal his keys.

Cloud stood frozen in place, staring at Leon's closed door. Slowly, his fingers reached up and touched his lips, still feeling Leon's mouth pressed tightly against his. "Dammit, Leon. I said I wasn't willing to give anything else." The blonde whispered. He sank to the ground, leaning against Leon's door, anger in his mind and confusion in his heart.

XXXX

...I just realized that this chapter is kinda depressing... Sorry! Things get better! Wait, actually... things get worse. :D But then they get better, promise!

I hope you liked it! Please review and let us know your comments/thoughts! Thank you!


	10. Sora's Mom Interrupts Things

Hayner nodded, "Rox, I'm sure he'll call you soon to set something up."

"I hope so..." Roxas said, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment. The two were walking across campus as they had their next class in the same building, and Roxas was just telling Hayner how he hadn't heard anything from Axel since their date on Wednesday and it was now Friday. "Do you think he's waiting for me to call him?"

Hayner rolled his eyes. "If you're that worried, just call him already!"

"I don't want to seem clingy!" Roxas said angrily.

Hayner threw his hands up in the air. "Well then, don't complain about it!"

"Hayner, I no longer have any doubts as to why you are still single." Roxas said matter-of-factly.

Hayner punched his arm. "We can't all run around all glowy with a new relationship like you."

Roxas grinned. "You're just jealous 'cause my boyfriend is so hot."

"Sure, Rox. That's it exactly. Except, you know, I don't like guys and I've never met him. Totally." Hayner replied sarcastically.

Roxas stuck his tongue out at his friend and was about to retort when his cell started ringing in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and squealed when the display read that it was Axel.

"It's him! I'll see you later! Hey, Axel." Roxas said, answering the phone and walking away from Hayner, a huge grin on his face.

Hayner stared after him a moment, shaking his head, when as he turned to continue heading to his next class, he spotted a familiar looking blonde. _'Ah hah! I was wondering when he'd show up!'_ He thought, making his way over to Seifer.

Seifer wasn't paying any attention and hadn't noticed him yet. He was grumbling something about how much cars sucked as beds as he checked his cell phone to make sure he hadn't missed anything overnight. He'd grabbed a change of clothes once Cloud and Leon had vacated the apartment (he hadn't gone far to hide) and then slept in the college parking lot overnight.

He considered sending Leon a text asking if it would be safe to come home tonight (because he really didn't want to repeat the night before) but decided against it, instead just shoving his phone into his pocket and deciding that he would worry about it after class.

Hayner made his way over to him. "Well, well. I can't say I'm surprised to see you today, Seifer. What are you doing here?"

Seifer glanced over and resisted the urge to groan or smack the kid, instead gesturing behind him to the classroom he was standing in front of, "Class. Accounting. You?" he raised an eyebrow.

Hayner frowned. "I have class here, too. Medieval history. Why do you look like you slept in your car?"

"Probably because I slept in my car." Seifer shrugged.

"Why would you do something like that?" Hayner gasped suddenly. "Don't tell me you were parked outside my house!"

Seifer groaned, about to snap at the kid when he had a better idea. "Caught me. Sorry." he smirked, "Guess you should've checked." he winked, "Well, gotta get to class. I'll see you around." He quickly slipped into his classroom before Hayner had a chance to react.

Hayner stood there for a second, mouth gaping, before checking his watch to see that he had three minutes before class started and darting into the room after him, making a beeline for his desk. Ignoring the curious glances he was getting, he glared at Seifer. "Please, _please_ tell me you were kidding. Otherwise, I need your last name so I can get a restraining order."

"Of course I was kidding. I slept in the school parking lot." Seifer rolled his eyes, "Now get out of here, people are staring. I'll see you next time we happen to be in the same place at the same time."

Hayner relaxed, but then frowned again, crossing his arms. "But you still didn't tell me why you slept in your car."

"I would rather sleep in my car than get killed by my roommate." Seifer said, "Why are you still here?"

Hayner blushed slightly and started to stutter out a response, when he changed his mind, turning and fleeing the classroom, his heart pounding in his chest. Realizing he was about to be late to his own class, he had no time to analyze his reaction as he raced into the nearby classroom, barely making it.

Seifer just rolled his eyes as the younger boy left and settled back into his chair to listen (or try to at least) to his teacher.

XXXX

The next morning, Leon opened his door, only to immediately need to stop so that he wouldn't step on Cloud, who had fallen asleep right outside. He snatched the man's keys off the table next to his door and stepped over Cloud, silently shutting his bedroom door behind him. He walked down the hall to the bathroom.

Cloud groaned and slowly sat up, wincing at the pain making itself known in his back. He glanced around and noticed the bathroom door was closed, so he figured Leon was in there. Standing up, he opened the door to the brunette's bedroom, suspicions confirmed when the door opened easily to reveal the empty room. He looked around for his keys, searching the table and the dresser top, but not finding them and not willing to dig deeper through Leon's things. Rubbing a hand over his face, he headed out into the living room to wait for Leon.

Leon came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, noting that Cloud was gone from the hallway. He had to be at work in twenty minutes and hadn't planned on eating before he left or anything, meaning that he had about five minutes left before he had to leave. He yawned, quickly changing and heading into the living room.

Cloud stood up and glared at Leon, extending his hand for his keys.

Leon rolled his eyes and dropped the keys in Cloud's hand, "You didn't have to sleep outside my door. I would've left your keys on the counter."

The blonde's jaw visibly clenched before he bit out: "How was I to know that, when seconds before slamming your door in my face, you took something I wasn't willing or ready to give? Thanks for letting me stay, I promise you, it won't happen again." Cloud whirled around and stalked towards the front door.

"Cloud!" Leon called, surprised, "Look, I didn't mean it like that-it was the only way I could think of to make you stop long enough for me to actually close my door. I'm sorry."

"So it was just a convenient method of getting what you want! Let me set something straight right now; I'm not looking for a one night stand or a fuckbuddy. I'm also not looking for an asshole who thinks because he gets to call me his boyfriend, he can take whatever he wants from me." Cloud said, crossing his arms as he turned to face Leon.

"I never intended for you to think that was what I wanted." Leon said, "With how pissed you were last night, if you had gotten on that bike of yours, you would have been ten times more likely to get in a crash."

Cloud studied Leon for a moment, before some of his tension faded. Jerking a shoulder, he muttered, "Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to stay here when I was so twisted up."

"I said yesterday that the apartment's open if you ever need a place to stay, and I do mean that." Leon said.

Cloud jerked his shoulder again in a half-shrug. "I don't like having people around when I get that pissed and upset. I worked myself into that state, so I can calm myself down afterwards - no need to bother anyone else. But... thanks."

Leon nodded, "Feel free to stick around as long as you want. I have to get to work, though."

Cloud sighed, finally relaxing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I should go home and sort everything out. So I'll walk out with you."

Leon nodded and the pair left the apartment, Leon locking up behind him. The two made their way to where they had parked yesterday. Cloud picked up his helmet and Leon reached for his car door, when Cloud's voice stopped him.

"Leon?" The blonde said, stepping close. Leon turned around but before he could say anything, Cloud gently pressed their lips together. He sighed, letting his eyes slip shut as he moved his lips against the brunette's, before pulling back and blinking at him, a slight blush on his face. "I just wanted to know what it'd really be like..." Cloud whispered.

Leon smirked, pulling the blonde back in for another kiss before grabbing his car door, "I've got ten seconds. Have your phone on hand?"

Cloud blinked, mind a little fuzzy from the unexpected second kiss. "Um. Yeah." He dug his cell out of his pocket with his free hand, handing it to Leon, curious as to why he wanted it.

Leon quickly put his number into the phone and handed it back to him, "Gimme a call. I've really got to go, though, or I'll be late for work."

Cloud smiled, pocketing his phone. "Maybe I will." Laughing a little, the blonde winked at Leon before pulling his helmet on and straddling his bike, turning it on. Sending the brunette a small wave, Cloud maneuvered his bike out from its position next to Leon's car and left, heading home.

Leon chuckled and headed for work.

XXXX

Riku sighed as he put his clunker of a car into park. He had just under an hour before he had to go back to the Box Depot, and since he couldn't get Sora out of his mind and he knew the brunette didn't have classes today, he figured he might as well try to talk to him. Slowly, he got out of his car and walked up the walkway to the front door. Taking a deep breath and only hesitating briefly, he forced himself to knock.

Sora looked up from the TV as he heard a knock and jumped up, walking over to the door and opening it. "Riku, hey." he said, proud of himself for keeping the awkward tone out of his voice.

"Can I come in, Sora? We need to talk." Riku said firmly, determined to finally have this conversation.

"Sure." Sora said, stepping back so Riku could walk in, "But my mom's asleep upstairs, so we just need to be quiet."

Riku nodded, heading into the living room and taking a seat, waiting for Sora to do the same. "First off, I have to ask - are you still confused about what happened last time I was here?"

Sora had a feeling there was no right answer to this question. "Yes?"

Riku frowned slightly, but really, he hadn't expected a different answer. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, there's no... there's no easy way to say this."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

Taking a breath, he said: "I'm gay."

"I know that." Sora said, "You told me ages ago." he sat down on the couch, "So, that's not news. What's going on?"

"Sora, you're my best friend. And I really... like you." Riku said, studying the brunette's face intently.

"Okay... I'd hope so, since you're my best friend too." Sora said, "I'm still confused."

"I love you Sora." Riku blurted out, his eyes widening as he realized that he had just blurted out what he had tried to delicately explain.

Sora stammered for a minute before blurting out the only thing he could think of, "I have no idea how to respond to that! I mean... I... uhhh..."

"I'm sorry! That just came out! What I meant to say was that I really really like you - you're so nice and funny and adorable. God, Sora, you drive me crazy sometimes! I'm so attracted to you and we're already best friends and know each other so well and I love you, so will you go out with me?" Riku said in a rush before holding his breath, blushing slightly as he awaited his answer.

Sora stared at him for a minute, with no idea what to say. "I... uhhh..."

"I know you've never dated a guy before but I really do love you and I know you love me too and I think it could work and we could be happy. Please, Sora. Please say you'll go out with me. Please say you'll be my boyfriend." Riku pleaded, eyes shining with emotion.

"Riku, I..." Sora shook his head to try and clear some of the shock, "I'm not gay, you know that."

"But, I... I love you." Riku whispered, staring down into his lap, his fingernails digging into his palms as he squeezed his hands tightly.

Sora didn't get a chance to answer, as he heard his mother's footsteps on the stairs. She walked into the room, rubbing her eyes, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Mom. Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you up." Sora said.

"No worries. Riku, I haven't seen you in forever." she smiled at him.

"I... I'm sorry, I have to go!" Riku said, tears streaming down his face as he ran to the door, down the walkway, and into his car. His fingers fumbled with the keys and he could barely see what he was doing, but he knew he needed to not be here anymore, not when his heart was crushed on their living room floor. Finally he got the car started and in gear, it for once not giving him any problems, and he quickly took off down the street.

"Oh no... did I say something?" Sora's mom asked her son, still looking tired and like she wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

"No, it was me." Sora sighed.

"Well, fix it." His mom said, "Riku's your best friend, you can't have him running out of your house like that."

"It's more complicated than that, Mom." Sora rolled his eyes.

XXXX

Riku cut the engine, laying his head on the steering wheel and letting the sobs wrack his body. He knew there was a chance Sora would reject him, but he really didn't think it would happen - and now that it had, it felt like there was a gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be. Taking rasping breaths, he lifted his head, finally noticing when he had ended up. Stumbling out of the car, he made his way to the door of his sister's apartment, only sure it was the right door as he knew it was the end one since he couldn't read the number through his water-logged eyes. He knocked, wiping his nose on the back of his hand, trying to remember if Aerith even had off from work today when the door opened and he burst into a renewed round of tears.

When Aerith opened the door, the last thing she expected was to see her youngest brother in tears outside of it. "Riku!" she shouted, surprised, "Oh gosh, what's wrong?" she asked, leading him into the apartment and shutting the door behind him.

"He... he... he... doesn't love m-me." Riku managed to say between sobs. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with the force of his cries.

"Oh, Riku..." Aerith frowned, pulling him into a hug as she lowered herself onto the couch, pulling him down with her.

"I... I t-told him I loved him... I told him... And he said... he said he's not g-gay. I... I... oh god, what am I g-gonna d-d-do?" Riku cried, leaning into his sister, his tears soaking into her shirt.

Aerith just continued to hug him, waiting for him to cry himself dry.

"A-Aerith. I-I don't... I don't know wh-what to do. Pl-please, tell me wh-what to do. Why doesn't he l-love m-m-me? I... I..." Riku's words choked off as his grief poured through him. Every breath he took hurt. His chest was on fire, and his mind was running in circles. But his heart... his heart was completely broken.

"It's gonna be okay. He was just surprised. He'll come around, I promise." Aerith told her brother in a comforting voice.

Riku didn't answer; he just continued to cry, feeling so incredibly hurt. Finally, it seemed as though he had cried out all his tears. His body stopped shaking and his eyes burned. Pulling out of the embrace, he rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. "You didn't see his face, Aerith. He was so confused when I told him, but then I could see that he was trying to think how to tell me no without being mean. I tried to convince him, I told him I loved him, but he just looked so... so appalled when he said he wasn't gay and that I should know that." Riku sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch, exhausted and in incredible pain.

Aerith frowned, "Just give him some time to think. It'll be fine."

Riku opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of a clock on the wall. "Shit. I should've been back at work by now. I don't think I can go in now..."

"You've missed work plenty of times, I don't think one more will hurt." Aerith said, "I'll call and explain, though. You rest." she stood up to grab a phone from the kitchen.

"You're right. I should go home, though. I don't want to completely ruin your day off. Thanks for everything, Aerith." Riku said, attempting a small smile.

Aerith frowned, "Are you sure? I don't mind you staying here for a little while."

Riku stood up. "Yeah. I'm sure. Thanks, Aerith." He gave her a hug before heading to the door.

"Be careful driving!" Aerith called after him, "If you need me, feel free to call or come by, okay?"

"I will." Riku said, leaving the apartment and making his way to his car, sighing as he got in before starting the car. It was only a few blocks to his own apartment, thankfully. With the fierce order of 'don't think about it', Riku pulled out and headed home.

Aerith watched him leave before grabbing the phone and dialing Reno's number, knowing he had days off since he worked at night. He picked up on the second ring.

"_Yo, Aerith. What's up?"_

"Riku just came over to my apartment incredibly distressed. He's on his way home. Try and cheer him up, or at least get him to forget about it, okay?" Aerith asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"_Oh geez. Alright, I will. Thanks for warning me."_

"No problem. Thank you, Reno."

"_No prob. Talk to you later."_ There was a click as Reno hung up and Aerith did the same before calling the Box Depot to see if she could get Riku out of work.

XXXX

Demyx leaned his head on his hands, ignoring the glare that Yuffie was sending his way. They'd made up the day before, but Yuffie was still mad at him for not telling her what was going on, and wasn't taking 'I really don't want to talk about it' for an answer. Even though Demyx really didn't want to talk about it.

"So does everyone understand the aufbau method? Be sure you do, as you will have a quiz on it tomorrow." Zexion said, scanning the faces of the students, searching for any confusion.

The class mostly nodded, and Demyx snapped out of his trance long enough to murmur a yes even though he hadn't listened to a word that Zexion had said. Yuffie kicked him under the lab table to try and get him to look at her, but he ignored it.

Zexion nodded. "Good. Please hand in last night's homework on your way out; it will be graded, as promised. Class dismissed."

Demyx grabbed his homework out of his notebook and packed his notebook away, taking his time and sort of hoping that Yuffie would leave without him. No such luck, though, as as soon as Zexion had dismissed the class, she had started talking to him immediately about her party, which he didn't really care about. He got up and handed the homework to Zexion, while assuring Yuffie that yes, he _was_ listening.

Zexion frowned as the blonde handed in his work, clearly seeing his want to stay behind warring with his obligation to his friend. Making a quick decision, Zexion pretended disappointment as he shook his head and said: "Demyx, this is not the homework I had assigned. Would you please stay for a few minutes to get the correct assignment and for us to discuss the impact this will have on your grade?"

Demyx turned around, surprised. He knew he'd done the right homework; his homework was the only thing he'd had with him to do the night before.

Yuffie frowned, "Oh, tough luck, Dem..."

"I'll catch up." he told her, before glancing at Zexion.

"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to, as I can't discuss Demyx's grades with you present. It's school policy." Zexion said, motioning Yuffie to the door.

Yuffie just rolled her eyes and left the classroom, the door banging shut behind her.

"I know I did the right homework." Demyx said, frowning.

Zexion smiled. "I know you did. But it looked like you wanted to stay behind, so I just gave you the excuse. Is everything... all right?"

Demyx sighed, leaning against the desk, "No? Yes? No."

Zexion hesitated, frowning, before carefully saying: "You could tell Yuffie you have to stay after school today to complete the correct assignment so that your grade is not affected. We could go get coffee or ice cream or just stay here, and we could talk. If you want. As long as you don't have to go home right after school."

Demyx sighed, "Thanks, but... I probably should just go home. I think my dad's expecting me."

"Oh. Well, at least promise me you'll call me. Since you just admitted everything is not all right and wanted to stay to talk just now, I'm assuming you actually do want to talk to me about it. I promise I won't be judgmental - I know what it's like to be perceived incorrectly. You can trust me; I just want to help." Zexion said, staring into the blonde's eyes, waiting for a reaction.

Demyx smiled, "Thank you. I'll give you a call, I promise."

Zexion returned his smile. "Good. Any time is fine; my cell is always on. You should hurry so you're not late to your next class. I'll talk to you later."

Demyx smiled and left.

XXXX

Riku sighed in relief as he parked at his apartment complex. Quickly turning off and locking his car, he made his way to his apartment, opening and closing the door behind him, walking over to the couch in the living and plopping down onto it, leaning his head back and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.

"Hi there." Reno said, leaning over the couch to get a good look at Riku.

Riku jumped. "Shit, I forgot you were home. Look, Reno, I've just experienced the worst day of my life and I'd appreciate it if you, for once, could not add to it."

"Luckily for you, I have no intention of adding to it." Reno promised, "Want a drink?"

"God, yes." Riku said, letting his hands slip down into his lap and repeating his internal mantra of 'don't think about it'.

Reno tossed him a beer (he had clearly been prepared) and plopped into a chair. "I've taken the liberty of checking to see what movies are on tonight, only to come to the conclusion that nothing good is on, so instead we're just gonna get drunk as hell."

Riku didn't say anything, not really caring as long he wasn't required to think about anything. He took a large sip of his beer, lowering the bottle and realizing it was the brand Sora preferred. _'Sora... God, no, don't think about it. Shit, I wonder what he's doing? Probably out partying with Kairi... Fuck, Namine! I should call her...'_ "Fuck" he whispered out loud, feeling tears prick his aching eyes, his grip tightening on the bottle and his gaze on his lap.

"Fuck what?" Reno asked, "What is it?"

Riku gulped down another huge mouthful of beer, hoping to stave off the tears he felt burning in the back of his throat. "Namine. I gotta call her and tell her... Fuck this, this day so completely sucks. I don't want to talk about it, I want to forget, dammit!"

"Then don't." Reno said, "Gimme your phone. I'll call Namine, you get drunk." he said, holding his hand out.

Draining the bottle, Riku placed it on the table, eyeing his half-brother. "Why are you being so nice?" He asked as he passed over his phone.

"I'm your brother, dude." Reno rolled his eyes, "Kind of my job." he handed over the beer he hadn't started drinking yet, "Be back in a few." he said, walking into the kitchen to call Namine.

Riku sighed, taking a sip. He stood up quickly but had to pause for a moment as all the beer and blood rushed to his head. He headed towards his room, shouting out to Reno as he passed the kitchen: "I'll be in my room - just wanna be alone for a bit, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, he closed his bedroom door behind him, hesitating only for a second before flipping the lock. He crossed to his bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling and taking another long sip of beer, hoping it would allow him to blissfully forget.

Reno called an acknowledgment back to his brother, but was pretty sure he hadn't stuck around to hear it. Flipping his half-brother's phone open, he surfed through the contacts until he found Namine's number and dialed it, waiting for her to pick up.

"_Riku? Did you talk to him yet? Because if you haven't, hang up with me and go talk to him right now."_ Namine said by way of greeting when she answered her cell phone.

"He talked to him, alright. It's Reno, Riku's brother." Reno said, "Kid's crushed. And I mean crushed. Aerith didn't give me details, but he showed up at her apartment a complete mess. I'm in the process of getting him drunk, but he wanted to let you know and didn't want to talk about it."

"_Oh god. You don't know anything about what happened? Maybe Sora was just being his usual idiotic self?"_

"No idea." Reno said, "But whatever he did, Riku didn't like it."

"_This is my fault. I told Riku to talk to him, but I didn't fully realize how much of an ass Sora can be. I'm coming over there. I need to talk to him."_

"Sounds good. I think he locked himself in his room." Reno said.

"_I'll be there in less than ten minutes. Thanks for the call, Reno." _Namine said, hanging up and making her way across campus to the parking lot. She quickly sent a text to Kairi explaining things before heading to Riku's.

XXXX

Reno pulled a couple more beers out of the fridge and headed to Riku's door, knocking, "Hey, it's me!" he called.

Riku rolled over, the empty beer bottle falling off the bed with a small thunk. "Go away, Reno." He mumbled, curling into a ball.

Reno frowned, "Come on, dude, open up!"

"Just go away!" Riku yelled, wrapping his arms around himself, as more tears slowly poured out of his eyes.

Reno frowned, and was about to say something when there was a hurried knock at the door. He walked out of the hallway, leaving the beers on the table and opened the door.

"Reno. Where is he?" Namine asked, entering the apartment.

"In his room." Reno said, "Won't open the door for me."

Namine frowned, starting to get really worried. She walked over to Riku's bedroom door, knocking softly. "Riku? It's Namine. Please open the door."

"Nami? What are you doing here?" Riku asked, squeezing his eyes shut and otherwise not moving.

"I came to talk to you. Please, just let me in." Namine pleaded.

"G-go away. I just wanna be alone." Riku mumbled.

"Riku? What happened?" Namine persisted.

"I told Sora, that's what happened!" Riku yelled, voice trembling. "He doesn't l-love me! Just... just go away!"

"You're welcome to hang around until he feels up to talking." Reno said, putting a hand on Namine's shoulder. "Might be awhile, but you're more than welcome."

Namine sighed, but nodded. "Riku? I'm going to stay for a bit. I'll be here, when you want to talk." When she got no reply, she turned her full attention to Reno. "You really don't know any more about what happened?"

"No, but you can call and talk to Aerith, if you want. She probably knows more." he grabbed his phone, offering it to her.

"Wouldn't that be a bit strange, though? I've never really talked to her before. You, at least, I've seen around whenever I come over." Namine said, indecisive.

"She's really nice, I don't think she'll mind. She pretty much gets along with everyone." Reno said. "If you want, I can ask to make sure it's okay first."

"I'd really appreciate that. Thanks." Namine said, offering a small smile.

Reno smiled, "Make yourself comfortable." he said, "Want a drink?"

"Sure. Thanks. Ah, nothing alcoholic, though, since I don't know how long I'll be staying." Namine said, trailing after Reno as he entered the kitchen, glancing back at the solidly closed door to Riku's bedroom.

"We've got water and soda." Reno said, "Help yourself, they're in the fridge. I'll call Ri."

"Thanks!" Namine said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and twisting off the cap, taking a small sip as she leaned against the counter, watching Reno call his sister.

Reno dialed his sister's number, hopping up to sit on the counter. She picked up a couple of rings in. _"Hello?"_

"Hey, Ri. It's Reno." Reno said, "So, Riku locked himself in his room, and his friend Namine is here, and she was wondering if she could talk to you. She's curious about what Riku told you, since Riku doesn't want to tell us anything."

Aerith was quiet, as if thinking for a minute, before she spoke. _"Sure, I'll tell her. She there now?"_

"Yep. One sec." Reno offered the phone to Namine.

"Hello? Aerith?" Namine said tentatively.

"_Hello, Namine. It's nice to meet you... figuratively, of course. RIku's told me a lot about you."_

"Oh. Well, I've heard a lot about you, too." Namine said, slightly flustered. "Reno said that Riku went to your place earlier? Did he tell you what happened?"

"_Well, he was sobbing, so it was a little hard to understand him, but as far as I could tell, he went over to talk to Sora, and told him everything, and Sora... told him he wasn't gay. Essentially broke Riku's heart."_

Namine closed her eyes, her heart aching for her friend. "No wonder he's so upset. This is all my fault, Aerith. I'm the one who convinced Riku he needed to tell Sora. I honestly didn't think Sora'd reject him."

"_I told him to as well, so it's not just your fault."_ Aerith sighed, _"Do you think it would help if someone talked to Sora?"_

"My sister is close friends with him and has been not-so-subtly hinting at him that Riku would make a good boyfriend, but if you know Sora at all, you know he can be a bit... dense. I've already told her what happened - she'll try talking to him." Namine explained.

"_Alright. Tell Reno that he can call me if he needs __anything__ and to keep me posted."_

"I will. Thank you, Aerith." Namine said, hanging up the phone and handing it back to Reno. "She asked me to tell you to call if you need anything and to make sure you keep her updated."

"Okay, sounds good." Reno said, taking his phone from her, "She tell you anything useful?"

"Apparently Riku was too distraught earlier to really tell her anything. All she got out of him was that he told Sora how he felt, and Sora's response was a declaration that he's not gay." Namine said, sighing.

"Well, what does that matter?" Reno asked, "It's _Riku_."

"Sora can be an ass." Namine said matter-of-factly. "I knew he was... uncertain about his sexuality, but I honestly didn't think he'd reject Riku so harshly. Doesn't he realize that with the amount of time they spend together and the things they do, they were practically a couple already?"

"Obviously not." Reno sighed, "Hopefully he'll come to his senses."

Namine nodded in agreement. "Since it looks like I'll be here for a while, would you mind if I watched TV?"

"Go for it." Reno said, "In fact, I think I'll join you." he smiled, leading her into the living room.

She followed, grabbing her water and taking it with her. Once in the living room, Namine sat down on the couch and placed her water on the nearby table, glancing at Riku's still-closed door again and sighing.

Reno plopped into a chair, passing the remote to Namine as he got comfortable.

Taking the remote, she quickly flipped through the channels before shaking her head and tossing it back to Reno. "I don't see anything particularly good on, so it doesn't matter what we watch. You pick."

Reno hit a random number button, the TV flipping to something random. "Looks like some comedy show." he said, "Sound okay?"

Namine shrugged. "Sure." She settled back against the couch, idly watching the show. "So, Reno. Besides Riku being upset, how was your day?"

Reno shrugged, "Not bad. I only woke up an hour or so before Aerith called me. I work at night, so the mornings are when I sleep." he explained. "What about yours?"

"Pretty boring. I have my least favorite classes on Friday. So while the circumstances were horrible, I'm glad to not be on campus right now." Namine answered.

Reno nodded, "I completely understand. I'm so glad I'm not in college anymore."

Namine sighed. "I don't know - I say I don't like some classes, but I'm a psych major. There's no guarantee I'll be able to find a job in my field once I graduate. So... I like being in college. At least I know what to do and what's expected of me." She glanced at the TV and rolled her eyes at the comedian's antics.

Reno glanced over at her and away from the television, "Yeah... Well, if you don't find a job right away, don't worry about it. Just be persistent and you'll find one eventually."

Namine smiled. "Thanks." She returned her attention to the TV, but it had not magically gotten any more entertaining and she stifled a yawn.

Reno smiled back, but didn't say anything, refocusing on what they were watching.

XXXX

Reno startled awake as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He groaned, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes and pulled it out, realizing it was the alarm he'd set on his phone to go off when he had to leave for work. He glanced over at the couch to see that Namine had fallen asleep as well, and grabbed a blanket from the closet, quietly draping it over her. He walked into the kitchen, scribbling a note down for her and left it on the table next to her drink.

A peek by his half-brother's room as he walked down the hall towards his confirmed that Riku's door was still locked-Riku most likely hadn't left since he'd entered. Reno sighed and walked into his room, changing into clothes for work and grabbing his car keys, heading for work.

Namine awoke when the front door clicked closed. Confused, she borrowed deeper under the blanket before she started remembering the day's events. She sat up, blinking the sleep front her eyes and looking around for Reno, not seeing him. She glanced at Riku's door, disappointed to see it still firmly shut. She reached for her water, noticing the piece of paper next to it. It read:

_Hey, Namine. Had to run to work, but feel free to stick around as long as you want. Food's in the fridge, if Riku (or you) gets hungry, and my cell number's on the counter somewhere. -Reno_

Namine sighed, replacing the note onto the table and taking a drink of water before reaching for the remote and flipping through the channels, resolving herself for a long night. She pulled out her cell once she settled on a show and sent a quick text to Kairi letting her know she would be staying here until Riku came out or Reno got home from work.

XXXX

THIS CHAPTER'S REALLY LONG.

Cami here. I think we might have longer chapters coming. XD

Poor Riku. :( I feel bad. Anyway, I'm technically out of town right now, so I won't see you, but Jasmine will see you guys in a week.

Uploader note from Jasmine: Technically, neither of us will 'see' you. :D But we do appreciate your thoughts, so please review!


	11. Namine Issues An Ultimatum

Hi everyone! Jasmine here! Um... I actually don't have anything to say. :D So... here's the next chapter!

We don't own KH or FF.

XXXX

Late that afternoon, Larxene pushed open the front door of her apartment, poking her head in apprehensively and preparing herself for yelling.

Hearing the front door, Cloud left his room and entered the living room in time to see Larxene closing the door behind her and taking off her shoes. He crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway. "Larxene."

Larxene waved, "Hey, Cloud." she said, still mentally prepared for an onslaught, but pushing her confidence to the front of her mind.

"Why? I think I deserve to know that much, don't you?" Cloud asked, his voice tense but otherwise holding onto his calm. "You know, of all people you should know, what Zack means to me and how pissed I was getting at these pranks. So why?"

Larxene leaned against the kitchen counter, "For exactly that reason." she said, "I know Leon well enough to know that he'd let you stay over if you were pissed enough at me that you were afraid you'd hurt me. So, I made you pissed." she said, "I've known you a long time, Cloud."

Cloud's mouth fell open in shock and his calm promptly flew out the window. "You WHAT?" he yelled. "You did it on purpose? Jesus Christ, I knew you were crazy, but I didn't realize you were completely insane! God, Larxene, you know how I get when I get that pissed! I could have hurt you!"

"But you didn't." Larxene reminded him, "I came home last night with every intention of letting you be pissed at me if you hadn't gone to Leon's, but you did. And I avoided the house this morning just in case you were still pissed. And seeing as you haven't attacked me yet, I'd say something went right somewhere along the line, right?" she raised an eyebrow, smirking lightly.

Cloud shook his head, fists clenched and shaking slightly, too overwhelmed. "You still haven't answered my first question: why? I can see your twisted reasoning for asking Zack to do it - I still say that makes you crazy - but why do it at all? Just to see how far you could push me? To pull something on your boss?"

"No, nothing like that." Larxene said, "I know Leon pretty well, and it seemed like the two of you would get along pretty well." she smiled, "Also, I may have put money down on that bet that Seifer and Xigbar have going on."

"...You intentionally pranked us, involving Zack, because you think me and Leon will make a good couple? You intentionally brought me to my breaking point, for money?" Cloud whispered, fury and hurt lacing his voice.

"Mostly the first one." Larxene said, "The money was a bonus, but not worth losing a friend over. If you want me to, I'll let Xigbar or whoever win the bet." she shifted uncomfortably, "Look, Cloud. I know my methods are... not normal, and not nice. But I know they work. It worked, didn't it?" she asked, eyeing him, "You and Leon both deserve a little bit of happiness, and I know you two too well not to think you could find it in each other."

Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reopened his eyes and studied Larx carefully, noticing the concern and sincerity most others couldn't see. "You need to call Zack and apologize. And you need to swear you will never do something like this to me again - I really really hated wanting to hurt you. God, Larx, I practically broke down in Leon's living room at two o'clock this morning."

Larxene frowned at the last part of his statement, but spoke, "Already did. Called Zack last night and explained everything and apologized for it. I knew you'd be more likely to forgive me if I did that, and I did feel bad asking him to do it in the first place." she pushed herself off the counter, "And I don't think I'll ever need to do something like this again, so I'll go ahead and promise that." she smirked, sincere about the promise.

"Good. Then I guess we're okay. Just don't do anything like that again. Seriously." Cloud said, steeping forward and opening his arms to hug Larxene.

Larxene chuckled, "I already promised, didn't I?" she smiled, hugging him.

Axel walked into the room, "Well, isn't this cute?" he laughed, "Great, now that you two have made up, I can stop worrying about one of your killing the other and focus more on what the heck to do with Roxas this weekend."

Larxene pulled back from Cloud, glancing over at Axel, "Well, you could-"

Axel cut her off, "I mean, where to bring him on a date. A date."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "You're no fun."

"Whatever you end up doing, you should bring him here first to meet everyone. Although, I, ah, don't know exactly when I'll be here this weekend. I might, kind of, probably, have a... date myself." Cloud said, blushing slightly. He turned to Larxene, pointing sternly at her. "Not. One. Word. I mean it."

Larxene zipped her mouth shut, smirking all the while. A second later, though, she unzipped it, "Wait, wait. I have a question. Do I get to cash in on the bet or not?"

"Sure. And then you're going to turn around and give me the winnings, as a consolation for going through your crazy version of matchmaking." Cloud said, smirking.

Zexion walked in, hearing the tail end of what Cloud had said. "Matchmaking? So Larxene's plan actually worked? Wow."

"Half. I'll split it with you." Larxene said, "I should get at least half for actually helping you two get together."

"Did everyone know your ridiculous plan?" Cloud asked, throwing his hands up. "Fine. Half."

"Well, yeah. She kind of had to tell us when we were prepared for you two to be fighting." Zexion stated. "Oh, yeah. Cloud, what's the big deal about Zack? They wouldn't tell me."

Cloud eyed Axel and Larxene. "You didn't tell him anything?"

"Just that it was something between the two of you and that you would have to make the decision to explain it to him." Axel said.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair. "Short version? Zack had a really shitty home life, growing up, but somehow remained the most optimistic and helpful person I've ever met. Lots of people tried to take advantage of that, and I made it my job to stop them and to protect him. So when Larx dragged him into this pranking thing with Leon, I freaked because she knew how protective I am of him and I didn't like him being used. That'd also be why I didn't come home last night - didn't want to hurt Larx but couldn't look at her without doing so. So it's also her fault I had my anger breakdown at Leon's apartment."

Zexion frowned, but nodded, accepting the explanation.

"So, who wants food?" Larxene asked, "I say we order something that's NOT pizza, though, since it seems like we've been eating a lot of that the last few weeks."

"Chinese?" Zexion asked, going into the kitchen to get the menu of a Chinese take out place not far from the house.  
"Sounds good to me." Larxene nodded.

Axel shrugged, "If it's food, I'll eat it."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Why does that not surprise me... Chinese is fine, Zex."

Zexion nodded as he reentered the living room holding the menu. "Hurry up and place your orders, then, so I can call it in."

XXXX

Glancing at the clock, Namine sighed as she realized she still had several hours before Reno would be home. Standing and stretching, she made her way over to Riku's bedroom door and knocked softly.

"Riku? Are you hungry?" She asked, trying the doorknob and finding it still locked.

She frowned when she got no answer. "Riku? Are you okay? Riku?"

Riku groaned, throwing his pillow at the door. "I'm not hungry, okay? Leave me alone!"

Namine sighed. "Riku, you know you'll eventually have to come out and face this."

"Says who?" was the muffled response.  
"I do! You're never going to feel any better if you just mope in your room! I understand you're hurt and angry and upset, but you need to do normal things like eat and sleep and go to work. You would feel better if you talked to someone. Please, Riku." Namine said.

"I don't want to talk - I just want to be left alone! Nami, please..." Riku said, once again on the verge of tears.

Namine sighed. "All right. Just... just know that I'm here for you. But if you aren't out of there and at least talking to me and beginning to heal by the end of the weekend, I will personally kick this door down!" Namine turned and headed towards the kitchen, not hearing Riku's whispered "Thanks, Nami".

She opened the fridge door, glancing at its contents before grabbing some left over pizza and finding a plate, placing it in the microwave to heat up. As she waited, she looked around on the counter until she found Reno's cell number, and programmed it into her own phone. Grabbing her now-heated pizza, she returned to the couch to continue her vigil.

XXXX

Sora pushed his way through the crowds gathered around the large television that was currently playing some Blitzball game he didn't care about, and plopped into a chair at the bar of the restaurant not too far from his house.

He could've just drowned his insecurity at his house, but that seemed a lot less appealing with his mother home for the night. So, to the bar it was. He had been sitting less than ten seconds before Reno was in front of him.

"Hey there. What can I get you?"

Sora glanced up. The redhead looked familiar, but not enough for Sora to place who it was in his slightly dazed state.

"Just a beer sounds good." He said.

"Sure. One sec." Reno nodded, walking away to get the brunette his drink. While he was filling the glass, he was trying to decide what to do.

The source of his half-brother's heartache was sitting at his bar. Should he call Riku? Definitely not.

Maybe he wouldn't say anything. Be the typical bartender and act as Psychologist. Maybe he'd be able to figure out what was going on—namely why the fuck Sora would turn Riku down.

With that in mind, Reno walked back over to Sora with his beer, putting it down on the counter in front of him. With most customers distracted by the Blitzball game, Reno had a chance to talk to Sora.

"You look pretty distressed. Wanna talk about it?"

Sora glanced up at the bartender from his drink and shrugged, "Just some shit going on with my friends."

Friends was plural, Reno noted. He nodded, urging Sora to continue.

Sora sighed, "I don't know if I really want to talk about it."

Reno nodded again, understanding. "That's alright. I'm here almost every night if you change your mind." He smirked, and then walked away to serve another customer. If Sora was like any other bar patron, he'd loosen up eventually.

XXXX

Axel parked his car in the driveway of the house he lived in with Zexion, Larxene, and Cloud, and glanced at the blonde in the passenger's seat. "I didn't tell them I was bringing you over. If you don't want to meet them, we can go somewhere else... like the park. The park is safe."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Why are you so nervous? I want to meet them - they're your friends, right? Unless... unless you don't want them to meet me because you don't think we'll be together long or something...?"

"What? No." Axel said, "That's not what I meant. It's just that... Larxene and Cloud are kind of..." he paused for a moment, "Destructive? Obnoxious? Idiotic? I'm worried they'll scare you off." he chuckled, "Zexion should be fine though..." he added under his breath.

Roxas smacked his arm. "Stop being so nervous! You're making me nervous! I'm sure I can handle your friends - trust me when I say they cannot be as psychotic as Hayner. Let's just go inside already! If nothing else, I want to be able to come over and hang out with you whenever I want so I need to meet them so I can do that." Roxas got out of the car, closing the door behind him and stuffing his hands in his pockets, waiting for his redhead.

Axel sighed and took a deep breath before hopping out of the car and locking it, grabbing Roxas's hand as they headed up the path to the front door. The door was unlocked, and judging by the fact that Zexion and Larxene's cars were in the driveway, he assumed that was why. There was no sign of Cloud's bike, so he guessed he was still at work.

Pushing open the door, he led Roxas into the living room. Larxene was lounging on the couch, flipping through television channels as she sipped a soda. As the door shut, she put her soda down and turned around so she was facing the two of them.

"Oh, hey." she grinned, ignoring Axel, "You must be Roxas."

"Hi. Larxene, right? It's nice to meet you!" Roxas said, offering his hand to her.

"You too." Larxene said, shaking the younger boy's hand.

"Where's Zex?" Axel asked.

"In his room." Larxene rolled her eyes, "Where else would he be?" Before Axel could offer to get Zexion's attention and hopefully keep him in a good mood, Larxene hopped off to the couch and started banging on the wall behind the television.

Zexion threw his bedroom door open with a bang, a book in one hand. "Larx! What the hell- Oh. Um. Hi."

Roxas held back laughter. "Hi. So you're Zexion? I'm Roxas. Nice to meet you."

"Cloud should be home from work soon enough." Axel said, "He's only working 'til noon today, right?"

"Something like that." Larxene shrugged, "I don't memorize his schedule unless it's profitable for me."

"Speaking of that, did you ever pick up the cash from winning that bet?" Axel glanced at her.

"Not yet. I figured I'd wait until Xigbar and Seifer had a chance to figure it out or get told. I'm curious to see if they try to get out of it." Larxene grinned.

Roxas looked between the two, confused, before deciding to ignore them and focus on Axel's other roommate, Zexion. "So what're you reading?"

"Oh. It's an old mystery novel of mine. I felt like rereading it." Zexion answered.

Roxas tilted his head, thinking out loud: "But if you've already read it, you know the answer to the mystery. Isn't it boring?"

"No, each time I read something I discover another aspect of it." Zexion explained.

"Huh." Roxas said, shaking his head. "I gotta tell you I don't read much. It's not really my thing."

Just then the front door opened and a tall blonde entered, carrying a motorcycle helmet. "Hey!" He called out in greeting, slipping his shoes off. "Axel, is this him?"

"Yep." Axel smiled, "Cloud, this is Roxas. Roxas, Cloud."

Roxas smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Cloud looked him up and down. "He's a little short. And kinda young, don't you think?"

Zexion frowned. "C'mon Cloud, he's older than me!"

Cloud gave Zex a sideways look. "But I doubt he's as smart. Or mature."

"I'm standing right here, you know." Roxas said, crossing his arms.

Cloud smirked. "I know."

"That's enough." Axel sent a halfhearted glare at Cloud. "I didn't bring him here to be insulted by you, Cloud."

"I'm sure Cloudy didn't mean anything by it." Larxene laughed, stealing Zack's nickname for her blonde friend.

"Larx, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!" Cloud glared.

"It's fine, Axel. He's allowed to hold his own opinions. However wrong they are." Roxas said with a smirk.

Zexion grinned. "I like you." He declared. "You'll be able to keep up with Axel. Welcome to the group, Roxas."

Cloud turned his glare to Zexion, but it was halfhearted. He reappraised Roxas before stepping close to him. "You ever hurt him? They'll never find all the pieces. Got it?"

Roxas' grin faded as he looked up at the completely serious blonde. He nodded solemnly. "I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt him."

Cloud nodded, stepping back. "Anyone want a drink?" He asked, heading to the kitchen.

"Grab me one." Larxene said, glancing at him, and then turning back to Roxas. Appraising him for a moment, she shrugged, "I don't have any choice in who Acid-Eyes dates, but I guess you'll do." she said, as if comparing him to someone else, before striding after Cloud into the kitchen.

"Gee, thanks." Roxas muttered, before calling louder, "If there's any soda, I'll take one."  
"Me too!" Zexion yelled, going into his room to carefully bookmark his book.

"Well, I've apparently gotten approval to date you. What now?" Roxas asked, turning to face Axel, staring up into his green eyes smiling.

"Aw. You two are cute." Zexion said as he passed them on his way to the kitchen. Roxas blushed slightly but ignored him, focusing on his boyfriend.

Axel still looked a little irked for Larxene's comment, but turned to Roxas with a grin, "Everything gets ten times easier and I stop being afraid to invite you over?" he guessed.

"You're such a big softie, Scarlet!" Larxene called out of the kitchen.

"Shut up, Lightningbug!" Axel snapped back. He glanced at Roxas, "Sorry about the nicknames."

Roxas shrugged. "It's cute."

Cloud reentered, carrying a couple cans of soda, which he dropped onto the table. "Help yourself. I'm gonna shower." He disappeared down the hall.

"I'm going to finish that book. Try to keep it down." Zexion said, reentering his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Roxas grabbed a soda and popped it open, taking a sip. "Gonna show me your room?"

"Sure." Axel grabbed a can as well, before leading Roxas down the hall to his bedroom. His room had bright red walls that looked like he'd taken to them with a single can of paint, so they still showed some of the off white they had been before. Not that you could see the walls in many places, as any free space he'd been able to find was taken up by posters and paintings of various things. All along the floor, stacked up against the walls, were paintings, paintings, and more paintings. There were a bunch of different paints stacked in one corner of the room, and the only place seemingly untouched by the paints, paintings, and paintbrushes was Axel's bed.

"Wow." Roxas said, looking around. "These all yours?"

Axel looked momentarily flustered as he nodded, "Yeah. I don't get as much time to paint anymore, now that I'm working, but I managed quite the collection during college and unemployment." he chuckled.

Roxas stepped closer to the walls, slowly making his way around the room. He was awestruck by the sheer amount of painting Axel had done. And they were really good, too! "Axel... these are amazing! Why aren't you a world famous artist?"

"Because no one buys my stuff?" Axel laughed, "I was an art major, but it's a horrible job market, since most artists are self employed. Besides, they're not that good."

Roxas just shook his head. "You clearly have talent. Don't give up. And they are good. I like them." Roxas turned to smile at Axel, carefully setting his soda down next to some half-empty paint tubes before giving the redhead a loose hug.

Axel pulled him in closer to his chest, making the hug tighter, "Well, you're welcome to any of them if you want one." he said, "And thank you."

Roxas pulled back, showing Axel his grin, before trailing his hands up to Axel's shoulders and trying to tug him down a little. Standing on his tip-toes, Roxas pulled Axel close enough to lightly press their lips together. He sighed, closing his eyes and kissing Axel again, moving his lips firmly against his boyfriend's, letting his fingers play with the strands of red hair that fell across the back of his neck. Tilting his head a bit, he tried to stand even taller, pressing his body into Axel's.

Axel decided he'd had enough of Roxas struggling to kiss him and leaned down, letting Roxas's feet fall flat, and his neck to stop imitating a giraffe, and clutched the blonde closer to him, smirking into their kiss.

Roxas pulled back only far enough so that their lips were no longer touching, opening his eyes and staring into Axel's. "Axel..." He whispered, ghosting his breath over the redhead's lips, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable." A teasing female voice said from the doorway.

Axel turned his head slightly, giving the intruder a heated glare, "Larx-"

"Hey, you're the one that didn't bother to shut the door, and I'm the one that happened to be wanting to go to my room, which is further down the hallway, and happened to need to pass your room to do it." Larxene teased.

"And you've passed. Now leave." Axel said, letting go of Roxas and grabbing the door. "Don't make me make you, Bitchmuffin."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "Fiiine. But don't expect me not to comment next time you leave your door open." she winked, and then continued down the hallway as Axel shut the door.

Roxas' blush had deepened and he just watched Axel close his door. "Um... does your door have a lock?"

"It's getting one." Axel said, "Today. I trust Larxene, but I don't doubt she'll open the door and peek in on occasion to test the limits of that trust."

"So... ah..." Roxas cleared his throat. "How long have you all been friends?" He asked, reaching for his drink and taking a sip, trying to will his blush away.

"Years." Axel said, sitting down on his bed and pulling Roxas down next to him. "I've known Larx since middle school, and we met Cloud right before we entered high school. Met Zex and started kind of taking care of him when we were in college, since he was so young."

"I guess I didn't really think about what it meant exactly to be 18 and already out of college. Did he get bullied a lot?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, especially in the beginning." Axel sighed, "It started to dwindle a little as soon as we practically adopted him, but teenagers will be teenagers." Glancing at Roxas, he added, "Sorry," and quickly continued, "Turned out they were still teasing him when the three of us weren't around, but Larx, Cloud, and I took care of that as soon as we knew about it."

Roxas shook his head. "People can be assholes no matter how old they are. And I think it's really sweet that you guys protected him." Roxas placed his soda back on the table before leaning in to Axel, sighing.

Axel wrapped his arm around the blonde, "Well, tell me about you." he said.

Roxas tilted his head up from its position on Axel's shoulder. His gaze flickered between the redhead's eyes and his lips. Licking his own, he asked: "What do you want to know?"

Axel thought for a minute, "Tell me about your friends."

Roxas glanced once more at Axel's lips before lifting his head with a sigh. "Well... Hayner has been my best friend since forever. He has a sister, Olette, and they were born in the same year so the three of us usually hung out together. We met Pence in school and he just kinda melted into the group. They're my usual group of friends, but I know Riku pretty well since he's always hanging out with Sora. Same for Kairi and Namine, twins who live down the street from me. They're really Sora's friends, but they do hang out at my house, so I guess we're kind of friends."

Axel smiled, "That's good. Sora's your brother, right?"

"Yeah. You've met him, he's the one Riku sends lovestruck looks to all the time, with brown spiky hair? You'll probably have to re-meet him as my boyfriend, though. He's going to try to scare you, just so you know. Ignore him." Roxas said with an eye roll.

"Living with Larxene, it's hard to scare me." Axel chuckled, "Larxene is one of few things that still manage to scare me."

Roxas grinned. "Good. 'Cause I don't have any plans of letting you go." Roxas leaned in, giving Axel another kiss, but just as he started to wrap his arms around the redhead's neck and scoot closer, Axel's bedroom door opened with a bang, causing Roxas to jump back from Axel, blushing.

Cloud cleared his throat. "Right. Guess this is gonna become a usual thing, huh? Well, don't get loud or I'll be forced to come in here and if you're being loud, I really don't want the visual aid. You guys hungry? Larx, Zex, and I are thinking of ordering some lunch."

Not moving, Axel grumbled, "Definitely getting that lock. Today." Glancing at Roxas, he spoke again, "You hungry?"

Roxas tentatively nodded. "What're you going to order?"

Cloud shrugged. "Probably pizza."

Roxas frowned slightly, glancing from the blonde in the doorway to the redhead beside him. "I didn't bring any money... I could cook." He offered.

"Nuh uh." Axel said, "I'll abuse your love of cooking later. We use Zexion's trust fund to buy food here." he said, "You don't have to pay anything, 'cause me, Cloud, and Larx won't be."

"You can cook?" Cloud asked, perking up. "Well, then. I guess that settles it. You're welcome anytime, Roxas. Especially if you're going to cook for us!"

Roxas offered a small smile to the blonde, but was still slightly frowning over ordering out. The others were roommates, and he was sure they did other things to make up for Zexion always buying them food. But what could Roxas do? Suddenly having an idea, he stood up and pulled Axel to his feet. "Let's get out before they order some horrid combination!"

Axel's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Roxas rolled his eyes, tugging on Axel's hand to get him to follow him, muttering "You forgot already?". Cloud shook his head and walked into the living room where Larxene and Zexion were arguing over what type of pizza to get, Roxas and Axel right behind him.

"Zexion." Roxas said, getting his attention.

Zexion blinked. "Roxas?"

"What's your favorite dessert?" Roxas asked.

Zexion blinked some more in confusion, glancing curiously at Axel before answering, "Cherry pie with whipped cream. Why?"

"I should have everything I need..." Roxas muttered before smiling at Zexion. "Okay! I'll bake you one in exchange for lunch today!"

"You don't have to!" Zexion said, waving his hands. "Really! It's okay."

Roxas frowned. "No, I can't let you pay without paying you back somehow."

Cloud shook his head. "I'm surprised, Axel. Your new boyfriend has standards. Unlike you."

"You know what, Cloudy, I'm not even going to comment." Axel rolled his eyes.

Larxene laughed, "I think the nickname's gonna stick."

Cloud growled. "I think I might have to kick both of your asses until you 'forget' that nickname."

Zexion laughed. "Sure, Cloud. You know you won't."

Cloud grumbled but didn't say anything more.

"So what are we getting? I vote something normal, please." Roxas said.

"Why don't we just get more than two pies?" Larxene suggested, "That way Zexion doesn't have to lose again. I mean, all we ever do around here is order food anyway, so having leftovers won't kill us."

Zexion shrugged. "Sure. And I'm with Roxas; I'm in the mood for the classics."

Cloud shook his head. "If you're going to get pizza, you have to load it!"

Roxas gave him a look of horror. "Axel, please please tell me your roommate is not one of those crazy people who puts weird things on a pizza!"

Axel shook his head, "Unfortunately. We usually ignore him when we order, but if we're getting more than one, Larx will be happy to share with him." He smirked at the blonde.

"Now listen here, Flameout, I refuse to share pizza with his tastebuds." she shook her head, adamant, "And I know pretty much all of your secrets, so don't push it."

Momentarily forgetting the horrors of food piles masquerading as pizza, Roxas perked up and focused on Larxene. "Oh? Like what?"

Cloud chuckled. "Oh man, you're in for it now, Ax!"

Zexion stepped in the middle of them all, holding up his hands. "Wait, wait. First we need to figure out what we're ordering. Then you can torture Axel."

Axel sighed, "Larxene, stop. Zexion, we'll order three. One with whatever crazy combination Cloud wants, one to satisfy Sparky, and one normal for the three of us." he said, "Cloudy, the nickname stuck, sorry."

Cloud held up his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. But just because I won't tell your blonde all your dirty little secrets doesn't mean someone else won't. Zex, order me a sausage, onion, pepper, and pineapple pie, okay?"

Roxas cringed and hid behind Axel. "My stomach hurts just thinking about that combination! There's no way that can be called pizza!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to eat it, you know."

"It's an abomination! I protest as a cook and a decent human being!" Roxas declared.

"Duly noted and ignored. Call me when the pizza's here." Cloud said, leaving and going to his room.

Zexion just rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Ax, but I gotta order the pizza. Good luck. Roxas, don't be too hard on him. He was young and stupid. Now he's old and stupid." Snickering, Zexion took out his cell and retreated to his room before the bickering could start.

Axel rolled his eyes and grabbed Roxas, pulling him down onto the couch as Larxene sat in a chair, glancing at the two of them with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"What?" Axel asked her.

She shook her head, "Nothing, nothing." she said, leaning back to stare at the ceiling.

Axel raised an eyebrow, knowing the blonde girl better than that, but decided he'd ask later.

"Did I miss something?" Roxas asked, looking between the two, settling himself against Axel's side, Axel's arm automatically going around him. Roxas smiled softly. He liked the feel of that. Snapping out of his private glowing, he leveled a look at Larxene. "Don't tell me all of his secrets - then it won't be any fun for me to get them out of him one by one. Just tell me what you think I should know." He said simply.

Larxene glanced at Axel again, and noticed that he seemed to be pleading with her not to say anything weird. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him and looked at Roxas. "Axel gets in these..." she paused for a moment to think of the right words, "Artsy moods. They're a little startling at first, so I feel you should be forewarned."

"They're not startling." Axel rolled his eyes.

"Axel, you've been getting in these moods since middle school. Just because they don't startle ME anymore does not mean they are no longer startling. Despite what I may tell you, I'm not the center of the universe."

Axel threw a pillow at her. "Shut up, lightningbug."

"Hmmm..." Roxas said, looking thoughtful. "Well, he hasn't seen me freak out yet, so I suppose we'll even out."

Larxene raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Honestly, I'm surprised the nicknames don't bother you." she commented, "They've scared off many an Axel-admirer for thinking the two of us were involved."

"You were using too many on purpose." Axel said, not really angry, but a little surprised.

"Maybe." Larxene said, "I was curious to his reaction."

"Axel is with me right now, regardless of whatever's happened in the past between you. You're roommates, so I expected some kind of bickering that comes with living with someone. Besides, like I said, Axel is mine. As long as you remember that fact, and the fact that I will personally gauge your fingernails off one by one if you touch him, you can give him any nickname you want." Roxas said sweetly, smiling and placing his head on Axel's shoulder and his hand on the redhead's stomach right above his pant line, very very close to his crotch.

Larxene laughed, "Finally an understandable reaction." she grinned, "I like you, kid." she smirked, leaning back in her chair, "No worries, I don't plan on touching Axel. Had enough of that years ago. I'm the reason he's gay, did you know that?"

"Larxene..." Axel warned.

"Alright, alright. I'm the reason he _found out_ he was gay." Larxene rolled her eyes.

Roxas grinned and in a singsong voice, he said: "I can certainly see that."

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Don't push me, kid." she said.

Luckily, they were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

"Nobody panic, that's probably the pizza." Zexion said as he made his way to the door, collecting the pizza and paying the delivery guy. Quickly carrying the boxes to the kitchen, he called out loudly enough for Cloud to hear in his room: "Food!"

Cloud's door opened and he made a beeline for the kitchen, his stomach growling.

"One: you started this. Two: I don't appreciate being called a kid. Three: you're the one who purposefully tried to make me jealous and the fact that you did it to make sure I was good enough for Axel and not out of malice like you seem to think I'd believe is the only thing keeping this civil. So, then, Larxene. Let's not push Axel in the middle of something, hm?" Roxas said, slowly standing up and looking down at Larxene.

"You know, any one else's boyfriend, and I probably wouldn't care." Larxene sighed, "Axel's made me soft." she nodded at Roxas, "Alright. Won't call you kid anymore. Not lightening up on the nicknames, though, 'cause those are normal and I'm not changing my everyday routine for you."

Roxas nodded. "That's fine. It's good to know someone'll watch his ass when I can't." He smiled and winked at Larxene before turning to stand before Axel. "You've been awfully quiet over here. Want food or want to talk?"

"Food sounds good." Axel said, before mumbling, "Like I said, Larxene is one of few things that still manages to scare me."

"I wonder what it says about me that I find her not scary in the least." Roxas mused, offering his hands to the redhead to pull him up.

"You haven't known her as long as I have." Axel said, accepting Roxas's hands, "She's one of those things that gets scarier with time, I think. Or maybe it's just because she knows so much about me because we've known each other so long." he shrugged, "Either way, it's not important."

Roxas smiled softly. "All people close to you know a lot about you. I shudder to think what Sora and Hayner will be telling you about me before long. But I like your friends, Axel. And I like you. A lot." Roxas leaned down, kissing Axel before tugging on his hands, pulling him to his feet. "Let's grab some pizza before it's all gone."

"Sounds good." Axel smirked.

XXXX

Uhhhh... Oh, right! Cami and I are participating in JulNoWriMo, so that might effect our updating. We still have one or two chapters stockpiled, so then again, it might not. Just thought you all should know just in case it does.

Hope you liked the latest chapter! I went through the old chapters and edited a bit, taking out the glaring mistakes. :P

Review? :D


	12. Demyx Is Adopted

Demyx pushed his way through the crowds filling Yuffie's house, looking for his friend. He didn't really care that he was knocking over a bunch of drunk people (and neither did they, being too drunk to notice that they were now on the floor). Finally, he found her laying across the pool table in her basement making out with a blonde kid he recognized from History class. He grabbed Yuffie's shoulder, detaching her from the blonde (Tidus? Maybe?) and shouted, "Yuffie! I'm leaving!"

"What?" Yuffie shouted back, not hearing him. She giggled as Tidus buried his head in her neck.

"I'm going home!" Demyx shouted.

"Okay, whatever, the ice cream's in the fridge!" Yuffie called back to him, turning back to Tidus to resume her earlier activities. Demyx rolled his eyes and pushed his way out of the house, finding his car in the chaos and getting as far away from there as possible.

When he pulled into his driveway to see both of his parents' cars there, he groaned. "Oh, perfect."

He got out of his car, locking it behind him and walking as slowly as possible up the steps. Unable to delay it any further, he opened the door, hoping to slip into his bedroom without his parents noticing he was home.

No suck luck.

"Demyx!" His mother called him from the kitchen, "Is that you? Come here!"

Demyx sighed, walking into the doorway that lead to the kitchen, "Yeah?"

"Demmy, tell your _father_ that you'd rather stay with me." His mother said, not even bothering to say hi to him.

"Victoria! Don't coerce our son! Of _course_ he wants to stay with me; you smoother him. Right, son?"

"Ha!" Victoria laughed, "Like you could raise him by yourself! You never did a thing raising him while he was growing up, I did everything! You don't know ANYTHING about raising a child! It's for Demmy's own good!"

Demyx clenched his hands, "I've told you a million times not to call me that. And I'm not a child-I'm 17. I don't need raising and I don't need you two fighting over me like this. No, mom, I don't want to stay with you, and no, I don't want to stay with you either, dad! Not until you two work this out and stop involving me in all of your fucking problems!" Demyx whirled around and walked down the hallway to his room, slamming the door behind him and pushing a box in front of it, hoping that would delay his parents even a little bit. Grabbing a bag that he'd had almost fully packed for weeks, he threw in a couple of things he was missing, grabbed his school bag, checked to make sure he had his cell phone and his car keys and opened his window, tossing the bags out before slipping out himself.

Fuck this. He didn't need to be stressing himself out because of his parent's shit anymore. He'd find somewhere else to live until they got over it. He knew that they'd catch on immediately if he used his car, so he hurried down the street without it, as silent as possible until he was far enough away that they wouldn't be able to find him immediately.

There were three things wrong with his plan.

One, he had no idea where to go.

Two, the one place he would immediately think of was filled with drunk teenagers, and the one person he could call was drunk and making out on her pool table with a random kid from Demyx's History class.

Three, he was sitting under a god damn tree and it looked like he might be spending the night there at this rate.

Letting his head fall into his hands, he sighed.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, scanning through the contacts to try and find someone he could call. Drunk... drunk... Yuffie... drunk... he paused.

Maybe Zexion would be willing to help him out? He was a little hesitant, since he hated involving others in his problems, but he needed a place to stay, and the worst he could say was no, right...?

Making a decision, he dialed the number and held the phone to his ear, hoping.

"_Zexion speaking."_

"Uh, hey. It's Demyx." Demyx said, hesitating. He didn't know why he was always hesitating while he was on the phone with Zexion.

"_Demyx? Is everything all right? Wait, sorry - I always ask that when you call. Of course you're allowed to call when everything is fine! Unless, something is wrong. Is something wrong?"_

"I'm..." Demyx paused, unsure of how he should phrase his current situation, "Temporarily homeless."

"_Temporarily? Demyx, do you need a place to sleep tonight? Where are you?"_

"I'm just around the corner from my house, sitting under a tree. And yeah, kind of... I told my parents I'd had enough of their shit and I left." Demyx sighed, "Which was a stupid thing to do, since I now have nowhere to stay."

"_I'm leaving my house now. I'll be there soon. Stay on the phone with me until I get there, okay? What happened exactly?" _Zexion asked, grabbing his keys and rushing out of his house, ignoring the calls of his roommates. He quickly started his car and put his cell phone on speakerphone, dropping it into his lap, as he pulled out onto the road and headed to Demyx's house.

Demyx sighed and launched into the story of how his parents were divorcing and couldn't come to the decision about who should have custody of him, so they were essentially fighting over him every time he was home. It felt good to get it off his chest, since he hadn't told anyone the whole story yet.

"_I'm sorry, Demyx." _Zexion said solemnly. _"I'm turning onto your street now - which way did you go to get to wherever you are now?"_

"Right. I'll see you when you pull past." Demyx said, grabbing his bag and walking up to the curb so he could see the cars that passed.

"_I think I see you." _Zexion said once he turned right, slowing down even further and pulling to the curb so that Demyx could get in, shutting his phone in his lap and disconnecting the call. "I'm very sorry for what your going through - your parents are not being fair to you. You can stay at my house for as long as necessary." Zexion pulled away from the curb once the door was firmly closed behind the blonde and his bags tossed into the backseat, heading home.

"Thanks." Demyx mumbled, "I'll figure out some way to pay you back for helping me out so much."

Zexion shook his head. "Don't worry about it. This is what friends do, right?"

"Thanks." Demyx smiled at him, much more relieved about not having to deal with his parents than he thought he'd be.

"It's no problem!" Zexion said, slowing down as they pulled up to his house and turning the car off. "Before we go in, I need to explain a few things."

Demyx glanced at him, "Okay?"

Zexion took a calming breath before explaining: "I don't live with my parents. Once it became clear how smart I was, they distanced themselves from me, so I don't live under their guidance at all, although they are very very wealthy and generously allow me to share in that wealth. I share this house with my three best friends Axel, Cloud, and Larxene. They are about six years old than me. And yes, Larxene is a girl. Don't worry, they won't mind you staying, I just thought you should know before you go in there. They might be a bit rude to you, but they're only trying to protect me. In school, I... well, let's just say I was not very well-liked. So they are used to protecting me. Oh, also, Roxas might still be here. He is Axel's boyfriend. I really hope you are comfortable with people who are gay because you'll have to sleep in the garage for the night and find somewhere else to stay if you aren't - I won't leave you to sleep in the cold outside but I won't tolerate false judgment of my friends."

"If I wasn't comfortable with people who are gay, I'd be a hypocrite." Demyx said, "And I don't plan to give your friends any reason to be mad at me, since I wouldn't do anything to hurt you after you helped me out so much."

Zexion smiled. "That's good. They really are good people, underneath all the sarcasm and bluntness. And I didn't peg you as gay - have you come out yet or is it a fact you'd prefer I didn't share with anyone?"

"I'm not in the closet or anything, I was just keeping it to myself until I graduated. The less to offer people who want to put you down the better, right?" Demyx shrugged, "Yuffie knows, at least."

"Okay. Well, you obviously won't be judged here, as I'm pretty sure Axel is in there still making out with Roxas and Cloud is also gay. Larxene is technically straight, but I'm beginning to suspect she's asexual." Zexion chuckled, opening the door and climbing out of his car, grabbing Demyx's bags from the backseat before the blonde could get to them.

Demyx protested, "I can carry my own bags." he said, not wanting to feel even more indebted to Zexion than he already did.

"No, no. I've got them. Just remember," Zexion said, leading the blonde to the door, "they really are good people and don't mean any harm." With that, Zexion opened the door and strode inside, shouting "Guys! I'm back! With company! So put some clothes on before coming out to meet him!"

Entering the living room Zexion put down Demyx's bags and grinned at Axel and Roxas, who were still on the couch, although the small blonde was now in the redhead's lap.

"Zexion? Where the hell did you run off to? Don't just leave like that!" Cloud said, striding into the living room only to stop short when he noticed the young blonde standing behind Zexion. "Who are you?"

"I'm Demyx." Demyx answered, but didn't get a chance to go on since Axel spoke up.

"What are you, like Zexion's age?" he asked, leaning over the edge of the couch to get a better look at Demyx without dislodging Roxas from his lap, "LARX! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!"

Larxene walked into the living room, looking a little annoyed, and grumbling, "Whaaat, Scarlet?" Her eyes fell on Demyx and she raised an eyebrow, glancing at Zexion for an explanation.

"Good, now that we're all here: this is Demyx. He's in the chemistry class I'm currently subbing for, so yes, Axel, he's my biological age. But really, I don't understand why you guys focus on age; technically there are three teenagers in this room right now and yet nothing has blown up. And really, I have never 'acted my age', so to speak. Yes, we're friends. No, that doesn't give you permission to harass him. He needs a place to stay."

"I'm in college, dammit." Roxas muttered from Axel's lap, but otherwise didn't comment as this wasn't something that concerned him, really.

Axel wrapped an arm around Roxas to reasssure him that he was fine with his age, and spoke again, "So you told him he could stay here? That's fine and all, but... where? All the bedrooms are being used."

"Anywhere but my room, and I don't care." Larxene said, "Ever since that cat, I haven't shared a room with anyone."

Axel gave Larxene a look, "That was when we were ten."

"Does it look like I care how long it was?" she raised an eyebrow.

Axel rolled his eyes, "My room's out too. There's hardly enough space to walk in there."

"I'm really fine with wherever." Demyx mumbled.

Cloud rolled his eyes at the two. He couldn't believe they were still talking about that cat! "Zexion will bunk with me so Demyx can have his room." Cloud stated.

Zexion thought about it before nodding slowly. "Yes, that will work. Thank you, Cloud."

Cloud nodded. "Those are his bags? I'll put them in your room." Cloud picked up the bags and disappeared into Zexion's room for a moment.

Demyx hesitated, "I don't want to kick you out of your room." he told Zexion.

Zexion smiled at him, waving his hand. "It's fine. Honestly, my room's probably the cleanest one in the place, so it's better for your safety if you just stay there. I just need to grab a few things... will you be okay out here by yourself for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, of course." Demyx nodded, still a little apprehensive, but mentally telling himself to just calm down.

Zexion turned to glare at his roommates, but mostly just glared at Larxene. "Behave yourselves." He warned, before turning and sending a small smile to Demyx as he exited the room, quickly heading into his own and being incredibly thankful that he was not a messy person as he gathered up what he needed to bunk in Cloud's room.

Demyx shifted awkwardly as he waited for Zexion to come back, but Axel was having none of that. Sending Larxene a glance that he knew that she'd be able to understand, he spoke, "Take a seat, you look exhausted."

Demyx blinked, a little surprised, but walked over to a chair and sat himself down.

"We didn't really introduce ourselves properly. I'm Axel, that's Larxene, and this is my boyfriend Roxas. Cloud's the one who took your bags to Zexion's room." Axel said, "We're really not bad people, I promise." he glanced at Larxene, "Well, most of us. She's evil."

"And proud of it." Larxene smirked. Looking over at Demyx, her smirk turned to a sincere smile. "Anyway, Axel's right, though. You're welcome to stay here as long as you want to, and we promise not to give you a hard time. We're a pretty open group, and we take care of each other, so you're safe here." she grinned, sinking onto the couch next to Axel and Roxas.

"Thank you." Demyx said, a little surprised, but mostly relieved.

Cloud chuckled. "If you need anything, don't feel bad to ask. We all know what it's like to be an outsider here, so we'll try our best to help. I'm gonna go help Zex now, though. Yell if you need us." Cloud sent a knowing look to Larxene and Axel before shaking his head and leaving to let Zexion know that Demyx had been officially adopted into their group.

Roxas looked incredulously from Larxene to Axel and back to Larxene. "Where the hell was that hospitality earlier today when you first met me, huh?" He demanded.

"You're different." Larxene said, shrugging.

Axel just tightened his grip around Roxas's waist and chuckled, mumbling in his boyfriend's ear, "Remind me to explain later."

Larxene glanced at Demyx, "So... tell us about you? Or do you wanna hear about us? Axel can talk about himself long enough to last for days."

"Hey, Sparky. That's mean." Axel glared.

"Your point?" Larxene raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh..." Demyx paused to think, "Well... Is there anything I should know, staying here?"

Roxas grumbled, not liking being out the loop but getting the feeling it was something he'd have to get used to when Axel was around Larxene. Satisfying himself with giving Axel a quick kiss, he answered Demyx before anyone got the chance.

"Axel's mine." He stated.

"Got that." Demyx nodded, "No worries."

Axel chuckled, "Stay out of Larxene's room and I don't think you'll have any problems."

"If you do end up in my room, have a good explanation." Larxene added, "It's not like I'll kill you for coming in there if you have a reason, but if you just go in for no reason, I'm liable to throw you off the roof."

Axel rolled his eyes, "Stop trying to scare him."

"I'm being serious."

Demyx just blinked, but was finding the entire situation rather amusing.

Cloud walked down the hallway and leaned against the doorframe leading to the living room. "Still here?" He asked the blonde teen, amused. "I'm surprised they didn't scare you off. Zexion's just changing the bed for you, he'll be done in a minute."

Demyx nodded.

Axel rolled his eyes at Cloud, "We're only scary when we want to be."

Cloud just gave him a look. "I know that. Which is why I also knew that you'd either attempt to scare him off like Larxene tried with Roxas or you'd end up adopting him like that damned cat you love to bring up."

"Why would they scare him? And after I told them to behave." Zexion said, entering the room and going to stand next to Demyx, shaking his head at his roommates. "Be honest - how bad were they?" He asked the seated blonde.

Demyx laughed, "They were fine." he promised.

"Told you." Axel rolled his eyes again. "And, again, the cat was when we were ten."

Zexion shook his head, but smiled at Demyx. "It's getting kind of late. I'm not saying you have to go to sleep right now, but I'd better show you around. Come on!" Zexion offered his hand to Demyx, pulling him out of the chair and down the hallway.

Cloud shared a look with Larxene and Axel. "He's awfully friendly with that kid. I really hope he doesn't get hurt, for both their sakes."

"Yeah." Axel said, "But I don't see it happening. Zexion's careful, and Demyx seems nice enough." He leaned back against the couch, pulling Roxas with him.

Larxene shrugged, "Either way, until or unless that happens, he's under our protection. Think Zexion will tell us what happened?"

"No harm in asking." Axel said, "But we might have to get it out of him ourselves."

"I think Axel's right, for once. He wouldn't talk about it when I was helping him before." Cloud said, looking thoughtful.

"He's in high school, right? Don't high schoolers usually have problems with their parents?" Roxas asked, leaning his head into the crook of Axel's neck, his eyes growing heavy as he half listened to the conversation.

Cloud shrugged. "Most, but not all. We'll just have to ask."

"Yeah." Axel said, ignoring Cloud's comment and readjusting himself so that Roxas was less likely to slip off his lap.

Larxene pulled her legs up so that she was lounged more comfortably on the couch and spoke, "Well, whatever happened, it was enough to make him run away from home, so if there's anything I can do to help, I'd like to." she sighed, "From the fact that he came here, it doesn't look like he has his version of the two of you to help him out."

Axel gave her a comforting smile, "Well, he has Zexion."

"True." Larxene smiled.

Cloud frowned. "Don't worry, Larx. We'll all take care of him." He glanced at Axel, smiling suddenly.

"Ax? I think we wore your boyfriend out. He's sleeping." Cloud pointed out.

Axel glanced at Roxas, and sure enough, he was fast asleep. Chuckling, he scooped the blonde into his arms, "Well, looks like he's staying the night. I'll go put him in my room and then I should probably call his brother."

"Have his number? I can call." Larxene offered.

Axel gave her a look.

"Honestly!" Larxene said, "I'm capable of doing nice things!"

"No. Besides, Sora at least knows who I am." he said, "Thanks for the offer, though."

Larxene grumbled.

Axel rolled his eyes again, "See you guys later." he said, walking down the hall carrying Roxas.

Cloud shook his head. "Axel sure fell hard for the kid, huh? Well, g'night, Larx." With a smile and a wave, Cloud headed down the hall to his own room passing Zexion's and glancing in to see his roommate helping the blonde find an outlet to charge his cell.

"Ah ha! Got it!" Zexion proclaimed from half under the bed, plugging the cell charger in.

Demyx chuckled, "Thanks, Zexion." he said.

"No problem." Zexion said, crawling out and standing up. "So, the kitchen is right behind the living room down the hall. Feel free to help yourself, although we don't have much actual food here since none of us can cook well. Still, there should be some leftover pizza in the fridge. There's a TV in the living room if you're not tired, or you could borrow one of my books to read. Oh, and the bathroom is the third door on your left down the hall that way. Don't worry, the door's left open if it's not in use, so you should be able to find it quickly."

"Thanks." Demyx repeated, "For everything. You've really helped me out a lot the last few days."

"We're friends, right? Stop thanking me." Zexion said, smiling. He cleared his throat, smile fading. "Did you... did you want to talk about it more, now that you're here and calmer? I can't imagine it's easy, feeling like you can't go home."

Demyx sighed, "Actually, it's kind of relieving." he said, "I was trying to spend as little time as possible there before, so knowing I don't have to go back is better." he said, "Do you mind if I don't tell Yuffie, though? She'll just get mad at me not coming to her."

"Sure. It'd probably be awkward, anyway, to tell her you're living with the substitute chemistry teacher." Zexion said, smirking slightly. "And I know it's pretty boring here and I'm not very entertaining company, but I hope you like it here."

"Yeah, not sure how she'd take that one." Demyx laughed, "And I'm sure I will. You're more entertaining company than you think." he smiled.

Zexion blinked, then chuckled. "You know, you don't have to compliment me in order to stay here. I'm well aware of my social shortcomings. And I'm adding to them right now by admitting that I'm getting tired. Not of you," Zexion hastily added, "I'm just usually asleep by now so my body's fatigued."

"I haven't noticed any social shortcomings." Demyx assured him, "And get some sleep, then. Sorry to keep you up." he smiled.

"If you're sure..." Zexion said, sounding indecisive.

Demyx nodded, "I still say you should sleep in here. I'm more than happy to take the floor."

"There's no way I'd let you sleep on the floor. This is fine, trust me. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Or text me, if you don't want to disturb Cloud. I'll keep my phone on vibrate all night. See you in the morning. Good night, Demyx." Zexion said, heading to the door.

"G'night." Demyx smiled.

Zexion left the room and headed to Cloud's, intent on falling asleep as soon as he got comfortable.

XXXX

Leon leaned back on the couch, flipping through the pages of a book, trying to figure out where he'd stopped reading. His phone rang as Seifer walked through the room, acknowledging him with a nod.

Leon pulled it out, answering, "Hello?"

"_Guess who?" _

Leon smirked, "Hmmm, I wonder who would randomly call me that doesn't live in my house?" he asked.

"_Maybe it's that extremely hot guy you were making out with Friday...?"_

Leon chuckled, "Could be."

"_So I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch or something today? You're off right? Larx was under that impression, anyway..."_

"Sure." Leon said, "Yeah, I've got the day off. Finally."

"_Good. You want to meet somewhere or should I show up with flowers and sweep you off your feet in front of your dumbstruck roommates?"_

"Maybe no flowers. Don't want to kill them in shock." Leon smirked.

"Kill who in shock?" Seifer asked, walking back into the room from the kitchen.

Leon covered his phone, "Does it look like I care enough to tell you?"

Seifer shrugged, "Dunno. Do you?"

"No." Leon said, uncovering his phone as a dismissal.

Cloud laughed. _"I don't know - I think it'd be funny. Maybe something besides flowers? Candy? A teddy bear? What would you like?"_

"Surprise me." Leon decided, "But keep in mind that if it's alive, someone here will manage to kill it."

"_I would never get you a new pet for a first date gift! That's at least third date material." _Cloud said with a chuckle. _"See you around noon?"_

"Sure, sounds good." Leon said, "See you then."

"_Bye, Leon."_ Cloud said, hanging up without waiting for a reply. Glancing at the clock, he saw he had just enough time to drive across town to get what he needed before heading to Leon's. He grabbed his keys and left his room, carefully shutting the door behind a still sleeping Zexion, rolling his shoulders as sleeping on the floor had made them a little tense. He headed into the living room, noting that it appeared no one else was awake yet. Scribbling a quick note and leaving it on the table so they wouldn't worry about where he was, Cloud left the house.

Once Leon hung up, he called for Seifer, who walked in, giving him a look. "You asked me to leave and now you want me here? Make up your mind."

"I didn't tell you to leave. You just left." Leon rolled his eyes.

"What?" Seifer asked.

"Xig around or is he at work?"

"He's here somewhere. Why did you call me to get him?" Seifer glared.

"Don't complain, I haven't killed you yet."

Seifer rolled his eyes, "You're never going to." he grumbled, "What do you need Xig for?"

"I don't need him, I was just making sure he was here." Leon shrugged.

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

Leon just opened his book again, ignoring Seifer's presence.

XXXX

Cloud couldn't keep the grin off his face as he juggled the white teddy bear with pink hearts on it under one arm and the bottle of chocolate sauce under the other as he rang the doorbell of Leon's apartment at exactly twelve noon.

Leon answered the door a moment later, opening it and raising an eyebrow at the bear.

Cloud's grin widened. "You didn't say which you wanted, so I got both. Well, I grabbed the slightly more adult version of candy, but I think that can be kept until after the third-date pet."

Leon chuckled, "Sounds like a good idea." he said, letting Cloud into the house and shutting the door.

Seifer poked his head out of the hallway, "Who was at the..." he trailed off, seeing Cloud holding the bear.

"Seifer, you know Cloud." Leon said, not bothering to introduce anyone.

Seifer stared for a moment longer before snapping, "Fuck!" and escaping down the hallway.

Cloud couldn't help it, he laughed. "He'll be back right? Should we be holding hands while glaring at him?" Cloud said in amusement, shoving the bear and chocolate bottle into Leon's hands.

"Nah, he thinks Xigbar won the bet, so he's gonna pretend he never saw us." Leon said, "Lemme put these in my room."

"What a shame. Is Xig here?" Cloud asked, following the brunette to his room and admiring his ass before taking a better look around his bedroom, as last time he'd been a tad upset and hadn't really noticed much.

"Next room over." Leon said, putting the bear and chocolate bottle on his bookshelf.

Cloud grinned and grabbed Leon's hand, threading his fingers through his. "Shall we go say hi?"

Leon chuckled, "Sure."

Cloud headed out into the hallway, tugging Leon behind him, stopping in front of the next door and raising an eyebrow, silently asking Leon if this was the one.

Leon answered by pounding on it. A slightly disgruntled Xigbar answered a moment later. "What?"

Leon just shrugged, "His idea." he gestured to Cloud.

Xigbar turned from Leon to Cloud, and then realized that the two of them were holding hands. Sighing, he leaned against the doorway and was silent for a second before saying, "Just tell your roommate she can pick up the cash whenever," and shutting the door.

Cloud grinned, turning to Leon. "Did I mention that Larx owes me half the bet? Lunch is on me."

Leon chuckled, "I won't complain about that. Come on, let's go. I'm starving."

Cloud followed Leon down the hall. "Where to? You wanna take my bike or your car?"

Leon shrugged in answer.

Cloud shook his head and dropped Leon's hand in favor of poking him in the shoulder. "Which is it?"

"Let's take my car, since your bike got quite the workout last time." Leon said, "But you decide where. I'm up for anything."

"Are you always this indecisive and accommodating?" Cloud wondered aloud.

"Not usually." Leon answered.

Cloud glared. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"Kind of." Leon chuckled, "Alright fine. You like Italian?"

Cloud stuck his tongue out at him. He actually stuck his tongue out and made that 'nyah' sound that five-year-olds make before answering, "Why, yes, I do."

"Then I know the perfect place." Leon said, ignoring Cloud's channelling of his inner-five-year-old and grabbing the blonde's hand again, "Come on."

Cloud grinned like an idiot, inordinately pleased that Leon was the one to take his hand this time, before following the brunette to his car. He decided that this thing between them might actually work. Stopping Leon from letting go of his hand to get in the car, he sent him his version of Zack's pout, a lethal weapon of a class of its own. "Don't I get a hello kiss?"

Leon smirked, "Didn't want my roommates dropping dead from shock." he said, before leaning in and kissing Cloud.

The blonde sighed, his eyes closing and his body relaxing as he leaned into Leon, very much enjoying the kiss. He tilted his head slightly, creating a better angle, before moving his lips more firmly against the brunette's, hands trailing up to wrap around his shoulders.

Leon pushed him back so the blonde was leaning against his car to get into a better position, and smirked.

Cloud shifted, pressing closer to Leon as he was pinned to the car. All too soon, the need for air became too much for him and he broke the kiss, turning his head as a blush crept across his cheeks, still holding tight to Leon and panting slightly. He licked his lips and looked up into Leon's eyes. "Damn."

Leon smirked and took a step back so that Cloud could step off his car, "Good enough for a hello kiss?"

Cloud smiled softly, still catching his breath. "Hell yes. I'm just gonna say this - you are a damn fine kisser, Leon."

"You're pretty good yourself." Leon smiled back. "Come on, lunch time."

Cloud shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, as he walked around the car and got into the passenger's seat, pressing his hands to his cheeks, still feeling the heat from his blush. He dropped them and sighed as Leon got into the car, getting comfortable in the seat and buckling up before asking, "So, where exactly are we going?"

"It's a small Italian place down the street. I know you'll like it." Leon answered, pulling out of the garage.

XXXX

Hi guys! Cami here. Short author note today 'cause I'm kind of in a hurry, but Alice, that scene was for you. :D

You know which one I'm talking about. See you guys next week!


	13. Zexion's Stomach Feels Funny

Jasmine here. JulNoWriMo is going well for me and okay for Cami.

I love/hate this chapter...

We don't own KH or FF, blah blah blah.

XXXX

Roxas groaned, rolling over onto his back and blinking his eyes open. He frowned when he only vaguely recognized the ceiling, immediately noting it wasn't his. He shifted up onto his elbows, looking around and realizing he was in Axel's room. In his bed. Wearing only his boxers. Blushing, he sat up and noticed the lanky redhead sprawled out on the floor. Noticing his clothes on a nearby chair, he got up quietly and redressed in yesterday's clothes, grimacing, before walking over to the redhead and crouching down next to him. Tentatively, he shook his shoulder. "Axel?"

Axel startled awake, surprised. Recognizing Roxas's eyes, his vision adjusted. "Rox? Everything okay?"

Roxas sat down as Axel pushed himself up. "Yeah, everything's fine, but... why are you sleeping on the floor?"

"You fell asleep on my lap last night." Axel said, shaking his head to try and dislodge some of the drowsiness, "I didn't want to wake you up to ask if you were comfortable with my sleeping in the same bed as you, so I just slept on the floor." he smiled at his boyfriend, "It's not a big deal. Sleep well?"

Roxas blushed, smacking the redhead's arm lightly. "You should've woken me up anyway! Or just left me on the couch! Or dumped me on the floor! Sleeping like that could not have been good for your back."

"While your concern is adorable, it was fine." Axel chuckled, pulling Roxas over so he was sitting next to him, "I wasn't gonna let you sleep on the couch or the floor anyway."

Roxas's blush deepened and he avoided looking at Axel as he mumbled: "Next time just sleep on the bed with me."

Axel smiled, "Sounds like a good idea. You hungry?"

Roxas looked up at Axel surprised at how easily he agreed to that, searching his eyes for a moment before his gaze softened and he smiled, leaning into him. "Yeah. But I kinda don't want to get up right now."

"Well, you're going to have to make a choice here. We have to get up to eat, or we can stay here." he said, putting his arm around Roxas.

"There is a third option: making a mad dash for the kitchen, grabbing food and then proceeding to eat it in bed." Roxas grinned, his blush fading.

"I think option three wins." Axel smirked.

Roxas grinned, scrambling up. "C'mon, then!"

Axel hopped up, running after Roxas to the kitchen.

Roxas stood in the kitchen, inspecting what was left of the pizza. "Thank god there's still some normal slices left."

Axel chuckled, "Grab me one. I'll get drinks. What do you want?"

"Just water, thanks. You want yours heated up?" Roxas asked, plating three slices, figuring between the two of them they'd get eaten.

"Sure." Axel said, grabbing two water bottles.

Roxas put the plate in the microwave and turned it on. Spinning to Axel, he grabbed his shoulders and tugged him down, giving him a quick kiss before getting the pizza out of the beeping microwave and grinning. "Race you to your room!" The blonde giggled before bolting down the hall.

Axel took off after him, holding the two water bottles.

Roxas laughed as he launched himself into the redhead's room, putting the plate of pizza on his dresser before doing a victory dance. "Hah! Axel! I won! What're you gonna give me for winning, huh?"

Axel grabbed his boyfriend, smirking, "I'm sure I can think of something."

Roxas smiled, wrapping his arms around the taller's shoulders. "Oh really?"

As an answer, Axel leaned down and captured the blonde's lips.

Roxas's lips curved into a satisfied smirk as he kissed his boyfriend, pushing him backwards until he had managed to walk him over to the bed. One more push, and Axel was tumbling onto the bed, Roxas right behind him.

Axel broke away from Roxas, surprised, but that didn't last long before he flipped over, pulling Roxas with him, so that Axel was straddling him, breakfast temporarily forgotten.

Roxas blushed but reached his hands up to slip into Axel's hair. "Axel..." He whispered, gaze flickering between the piercing green eyes that he loved and the lips begging for another kiss.

Axel complied, leaning in and capturing Roxas's lips again.

Roxas sighed in content, squirming a bit under the redhead as he was thoroughly kissed. He let his hands trail through the bright red hair of his boyfriend, fingertips massaging their way down to Axel's neck and shoulders, gripping tightly. Roxas leaned his head up slightly off the pillow, pressing their lips that much closer together. Cautiously, he let his tongue slip out of his mouth and flick across Axel's bottom lip, panting lightly, eyes half closed, peering up at Axel through his lashes, waiting for a response.

Axel smirked pulling back from Roxas, "You always like this when you've just woken up? I might make you sleep over more often."

Roxas's blush deepened, though he smirked at his boyfriend. "Only when I have you on top of me." He winked.

"That can be arranged to happen more often." Axel smirked again.

Roxas smiled, tugging on Axel's shoulders. "Less talking, more kissing."

Axel chuckled and complied.

XXXX

Zexion sat up, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the floor, noting that Cloud was gone, and got up out of bed. Stupid Cloud, insisting he take the floor so Zexion could have the bed. Going over to where he had placed his change of clothes the night before, Zexion groaned and internally berated himself as he realized he had forgotten to grab himself pants in his rush. Since he couldn't walk around in his boxers, especially with Demyx here, the genius teen quietly made his way to his bedroom door, opening it and poking his head in, calling out softly, "Demyx?"

Demyx rolled over and glanced at the door, sitting up, "Come on in, sorry." he said. He'd been awake, just laying there.

Zexion hesitantly entered his bedroom, closing the door behind him and leaning up against it, crossing his arms. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Nah, I was up." Demyx said.

"Oh. Good. Um. What did you have planned to do today?" Zexion asked, looking anywhere but at the blonde. His hair was mussed from sleep and seeing him half covered in Zexion's bed gave the older teen a strange pang in his chest that he didn't quite understand.

"Nothing, really." Demyx shrugged, "Homework. You?"

"Actually, I had planned to go to the art history museum today, but I could stay here and help you with your work. Or you could... join me?" Zexion asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

Demyx smiled, "Sure, that sounds good." he said, "I've never actually been."

Zexion's face lit up with a smile. "Then it'll be even more enjoyable! We could go now, if you want. There's a small cafe inside the museum where we could get lunch."

"Sure." Demyx smiled, "Just give me a minute to get dressed?"

Zexion blushed. "Ah, that's actually why I came in here. I forgot pants, sorry." He quickly rushed over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans. "Sorry for bugging you - I mean, we don't have to go now. You could go back to sleep. Or something."

"I was already awake." Demyx reminded him, "I don't mind going now."

"Great! I'll leave so you can get changed. I'll meet you in the living room in a few minutes, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, Zexion fled his own bedroom, shaking his head at himself. He didn't understand it... Making a decision, he purposefully strode to Axel's room, knocking before entering to the lovely sight of Axel on top of Roxas as the two made out on the redhead's bed.

Zexion squeaked and turned around, clearing his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Axel. Alone. Roxas, could you maybe keep Demyx company? He should be in the living room in a few moments."

Roxas growled something that sounded suspiciously like "buy that damned lock already" before getting out from under Axel and off the bed, straightening his clothes and giving Zexion a quick look as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Axel sat up, "You alright? What's wrong?"

Zexion turned to look at Axel, frowning. "I'm not sure... I'm confused."

"Okay..." Axel said, "About what?"

"When I went into my room this morning, Demyx was already awake. He was just sitting in my bed. But I couldn't look at him without this... pang, I guess, in my chest. And it seems like whenever I'm around him, I'm stumbling over my words and what to say. Axel, you know me, I'm nothing if not blunt and articulate. I don't understand why I'm reacting this way..." Zexion said, still frowning.

Axel was suddenly glad that Zexion had asked him about this instead of Larxene, 'cause the merciless teasing would start right about now. "Well, it sounds like you have a crush on him to me."

Zexion's frown deepened. "A crush?"

"I can't tell you for sure, but that's what it sounds like." Axel said.

"What should I do about it?" Zexion asked, frown disappearing as he at least had a valid reason now for his actions.

"See if he's interested." Axel said, "Is he gay?"

"Yes, he is. But what if he's not interested? I'm not the most... appealing person." Zexion said, getting frustrated with himself.

"Well, you won't know until you try. Try flirting and see how he responds." Axel suggested.

"I don't know if I can... I've seen you and Cloud and Larxene flirt plenty of times, but I don't know if I can do any of that, Axel. What if I just make a fool of myself? I'm his temporary chemistry teacher!" Zexion was starting to breathe very rapidly, imagining all sorts of horrible scenarios.

"Alright, calm down!" Axel said, hopping up and putting a hand on Zexion's shoulder to try and calm him, "Are you two doing anything today?"

Zexion took several deep breaths before answering: "I invited him to go to the art history museum with me. And he said yes. I'm supposed to be changing right now and meeting him in the living room so we can leave."

"Well, just... observe him. You're good at that. See how he reacts to things. I mean, don't be a creeper, but just see how he responds to compliments and stuff. If you catch him blushing, you're on the right track." Axel explained, trying to think of other ways to break down how to figure out if someone was interested.

"Okay." Zexion said slowly. "Okay." He repeated. "Um, could you check on the status of things in the living room? I'm not sure I trust Roxas alone with Demyx... I'll just change really quickly. Thanks, Axel."

"No problem." Axel chuckled.

Zexion waited until Axel closed the door behind him before hurriedly changing. He dashed into Cloud's room as soon as he was done to grab his keys and his wallet, running across the hall into his own room to get rid of his laundry and run a brush through his hair hastily. Taking a calming breath, he entered the living room.

"Sorry about that." He said, glancing at Demyx and Roxas, who were sitting on the couch, and Axel, who was hovering near Roxas.

"No problem. Everything okay?" Demyx asked, standing up.

"Yes, thank you. Are you ready to go?" Zexion asked.

"Demyx mentioned you're going to the art history museum?" Roxas asked.

Zexion nodded. "Yes, we are." His chest got that pang again when he said that aloud, but he ignored it.

"I've been there myself - it's pretty cool. Have fun!" Roxas said, standing and reaching for Axel, linking their hands.

"Yep, I'm ready." Demyx smiled.

Zexion smiled. "Let's go, then."

XXXX

Namine knocked on the door to Reno and Riku's apartment. She had left early Saturday morning when Reno had gotten home from his shift since it became apparent Riku was still extremely upset and sulking in his room. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Riku had snapped out of it by now as she waited for someone to open the door. If not, she'd have to take drastic measures.

Reno opened the door, not at all surprised by the girl's presence, "Hey, come on in." he said.

"Well?" Namine asked, although a quick glance around the otherwise empty apartment had her hopes dropping. "How is he?"

"I know he's left his room, because food is disappearing while I'm at work, but I haven't seen him." Reno sighed.

Namine nodded sadly before mentally squaring her shoulders and crossing to Riku's bedroom door, knocking swiftly.

"Riku? It's Namine." She said.

"I'm trying to sleep." Riku yelled, burying his head under his pillow. The only time his chest wasn't aching was when he was sleeping, so he tried not to think and spend his days laying in bed.

"Riku, open the door. Please." Namine said, trying the doorknob, unsurprised to find it locked.

"Nami, just leave me alone, okay? I... it hurts too much to think right now and talking to you is making me think! Don't you want me to not be hurting?" Riku said.

Barely hearing him, Namine sighed. "Oh, Riku. You have to face this, or it'll never get better. What about work? What about your friends?"

Riku humorlessly laughed. "I never went to work before - why start now? And friends? What friends? My best friend was Sora and now he's... Just leave me alone!"

"Riku! Riku, please!" Namine yelled, receiving no answer.

She placed her palm on the door before her face hardened. "You leave me no choice. I told you you were coming out of there and facing this by the end of the weekend and I meant it."

Namine walked over to where Reno was sitting on the couch, sitting beside him and pulling out her cell phone. "I'm calling Kairi. Since Riku won't listen, maybe she can get Sora to do something to fix this. It is not physically or mentally healthy for Riku to stay like this."

Reno nodded, "Sora's not in better shape, actually. He's been coming to my bar every night. I've been trying to get him to loosen up and give me details since he doesn't recognize me, but so far, nothing."

Namine nodded. "That actually doesn't surprise me. Those two have been best friends for practically their whole lives. Frankly, Sora's being an ass for not realizing the awesome thing he had right in front of him all along, and Riku is taking it too emotionally and not trying hard enough. Hopefully my sister can knock some sense into Sora, so that this can be fixed and everyone happy again." The blonde dialed her sister quickly, thankful when she picked up on the first ring.

"_Hey, Nam."_

"Kairi, Riku still won't come out of his room. He sounds just as awful as when the incident first happened. And Reno has just informed me that Sora has been coming to his bar every night getting drunk. Is there any way you can beat some sense into Sora? I can't reach Riku right now, literally. They need to fix this, and you're just the person to make Sora realize this. Please?"

Kairi sighed, _"I'll give it a shot. Sora hasn't been speaking to me either, though, so no promises... I'll head over to his place and see if I can kick his ass."_

"Well, I hate to condone violence... Maybe just verbally kick his ass? And thank you, Kairi. We really need to make them end this. If Sora could just come over and talk to Riku, or even call him... something. Try your best, okay?"

"_I'll do whatever it takes. I'll let you know how it goes." _There was a click and Kairi hung up.

Namine closed her phone and sighed. "She's going to try."

Reno nodded, "Hope she gets results."

Namine gave him a strained smile. "Now all we can do is wait."

XXXX

No one was home when Kairi got there, but she sat down on the front porch, figuring it wouldn't hurt to wait for a little bit. If no one had shown up by the time she got bored of Tetris on her phone, she'd go home and text Sora asking him to come by.

Not that he would, but whatever. She wasn't going to wait for him forever.

Luckily, she didn't need to-Sora parked his car about ten minutes later, getting out and walking up to the porch.

"Kairi?" he asked, surprised.

"Hey." Kairi said, shutting her phone and standing up.

"What're you doing here?" Sora asked, awkwardly.

Kairi sighed, "Fuck, Sora." she muttered, "I haven't changed at all since the last time you saw me, why the hell are you being awkward?"

Sora managed a small smile.

Kairi smiled back, "Alright, enough of that. You need to talk to Riku."

Sora stiffened, "Why?"

"According to Nami, he hasn't left his room since he left your house." Kairi said, "It's getting ridiculous and unhealthy and you're the only one who can fix it."

"If you know all this, then I'm sure you know what happened while he was here." Sora said, sighing.

"Yeah." Kairi said, "The basics, anyway."

"And so you know why I can't go." Sora said.

"No, that I don't know." Kairi said, "Riku's your best friend, Sora. You've known him for years. What's different between now and a week ago?"

"He doesn't want to just be my friend anymore, Kai!" Sora snapped, "If I go crawling back to him, he's gonna have to live with my not being interested in him forever, and I think that's worse than him sulking in his room!"

Kairi startled, "Sora..."

"What?" Sora snapped.

"You obviously care about him." she said, "What you just said makes it sound like you're not going to talk to him because you don't want him to feel worse."

Sora frowned.

"Am I right?" Kairi asked.

"I guess..." Sora continued to frown.

"Well, do you WANT Riku back in your life?" Kairi asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Of course I do." Sora said, not hesitating.

"Then you need to talk to him. You say you're not gay, but I've NEVER seen you be interested in a girl before." Kairi said, "So, how do you know?"

Sora hesitated this time.

"Exactly." Kairi said, "Is Riku worth giving it a try, Sora?"

XXXX

This is actually one of our shorter chapters... Huh.

Please review and let us know what you thought of it! :D


	14. Sora Climbs to Precarious Heights

Reno lounged in a chair, flipping through TV channels and trying to find something at least slightly interesting to watch, but was having no luck. It had been at least an hour since Namine had called her sister, and he was starting to give up hope of Kairi having had any luck.

Namine came back from the kitchen with a box of chocolate chip cookies. "I couldn't find any brownies, but I found these." She laid the box on the table as she sat down on the couch. "Hey, Riku!" She yelled. "We have cookies!" No answer. Namine sighed.

Reno sat up, grabbing a cookie, "Make yourself comfortable. Hear anything from your sister?"

Namine shook her head, taking her own cookie. "No, not yet."

They sat in silence, eating their cookies for a moment, but then there was a knock on the door. Reno glanced at Namine before jumping up to answer it, but much to his disappointment, instead of the brunette he'd been hoping for, a curvier brunette was standing there.

"Oh, Ri." he said.

"You sound disappointed." she commented.

"Hoping you were Sora coming to convince Riku to leave his room." Reno admitted, letting his sister in.

"He still hasn't left?" Aerith asked, surprised.

"Nope." Reno sighed, shutting the door behind his sister, "Namine, this is Aerith, Ri, Nami."

Namine quickly stood up, brushing cookie crumbs off herself before offering her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

"You too." Aerith smiled, "Do you think there's any chance he'd open the door for me?"

"Probably not." Reno shook his head.

Aerith sighed, "I'll give it a try anyway." she said, walking down to Riku's room without another word and knocking on the door.

"Riku, it's Aerith..." she said softly, "Can we talk?"

"We already talked. What're you doing here, anyway? Go home. I'm fine." Riku yelled, rolling over onto his back and staring up at his ceiling, thoughts swirling in his head making his eyes burn and his chest ache. "Leave me alone." He said softer, but still loud enough for his sister to hear through his door.

"You're not fine." Aerith said, "I came by to see if there was anything I could do. I know that seems like a stupid question, though."

"Can you turn back time and stop me from opening my big, stupid mouth?" Riku asked bitterly. "Just leave me alone, Aerith." Riku closed his eyes, trying to take calming breaths as he really really wanted to stop crying so much already.

Aerith sighed, "I'll be here for awhile. If you want something to eat, or anything at all, just let me know, okay?"

Riku nodded and rolled over onto his side, facing the wall and placing his back to the door, ignoring the fact that his sister couldn't see him.

Namine approached Aerith. "Nothing?"

Aerith shook her head, "Nothing... I said I'd stick around awhile, though, so I plan to."

Namine smiled softly. "I'm staying for now, as well."

"Sounds good." Aerith smiled, ignoring the fact that this was Reno's apartment, not hers.

Walking back into the living, Namine frowned at the half-eaten box of cookies. "Reno, did you seriously just eat all of those cookies? You'll be sick!"

Reno shrugged, "I didn't eat dinner, so cookies became my dinner."

Aerith shook her head, "That's it, I'm making real food."

"Do you need any help?" Namine asked.

"Nah, I'm good." Aerith smiled, "Thank you, though."

"Well, if you change your mind..." Namine trailed off.

"I'll let you know. Thanks." Aerith smiled, vanishing into the kitchen.

Looking after her uncertainly, Namine reluctantly settled back on the couch.

XXXX

"This was a bad idea…" Sora muttered as he gripped the metal harder. This hadn't seemed so high during his senior year of high school, when he'd snuck over here all the time to hang out with Riku. Now it seemed a lot higher and a lot more dangerous, and Sora was avoiding looking down. He hooked his arm around one of the poles to give himself less of a chance of falling and reached out with his other hand, knocking loudly on the glass and hoping Riku would answer. He was the only one that ever visited him via window, after all. He hoped he'd understand.

And quickly, because Sora wasn't sure how much longer he could hang without falling.

Riku sat up, dazed. He could have sworn he heard someone knocking, but it didn't sound like it was coming from his door, which meant it was coming from his window and the only person ever stupid enough to climb three stories to his window was Sora and there's no way Sora's at his window because... "Fuck." The silverette whispered, pressing the heels of his hands to his bloodshot and aching eyes.

Sora knocked again, really hoping he hadn't somehow gotten the window wrong or that Namine hadn't lied to Kairi about Riku not leaving his room because in either situation, he was dangling three floors above the ground for no reason.

Riku jerked, his hands falling into his lap. No way... he had to be dreaming. But... but what if he wasn't, and Sora was hanging outside his window right now? It wouldn't hurt to check, right? But what if he's not there? But what if he is? Shaking his head and quickly striding to his window before his head exploded with 'what if's', Riku pulled up the blinds and very nearly had a heart attack before his body moved in auto pilot, opening the window and pulling Sora inside. Sora. In his bedroom. Riku's brain hurt and he was dizzy. He blindly grabbed at his desk chair and sat down.

Sora took a deep breath now that there was actual floor beneath him and the threat of falling three stories was diminished, "Thanks." he said, trying to regain his breath.

"What are-" Riku croaked, then cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"You haven't left your room." Sora answered, as if that explained everything.

Riku's jaw dropped, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before managing to ask: "Why do you care? It's not any of your business anymore what I do or don't do."

Sora sighed, not moving from Riku's floor, "I reacted really horribly the other day."

What was left of Riku's heart crumbled and he snapped, jumping to his feet, fists clenching at his sides. "You reacted horribly? That's what you climbed into my room to say. You reacted horribly. Well, great. Good for you for figuring that out, but I guess there really is no great way to crush your best friend into a million little pieces, is there? Don't worry, you did great though! I cried for hours and hours and my whole body hurts and you reacted horribly? Get the fuck out. Get out of my room. Now!"

"Riku!" Sora said, hopping up, "Wait! I wasn't-Fuck, Riku, you KNOW I suck at stuff like this!" he snapped, "I've never been in a situation like this, and I just... I didn't know HOW to handle it, and I made the wrong decision! And I know I can never make up for it, but I'm trying, Riku. I'm sorry!"

"Don't." Riku bit out, crossing his arms over his chest to hide their shaking. "Don't stand there apologizing. You made your point loud and clear - you will never love me the way I love you. And I can't-" Riku broke off, his voice cracking. He turned his head to stare at his door, avoiding looking at Sora as the tears started gathering on his lashes. He tried holding them in, but a few escaped, rolling down his cheeks. "God, Sora. You don't even know what you did to me - do to me, standing there. I love you. I think... I think I'll always love you. But it hurts. It hurts so much and I don't know what to do and I-" Riku stopped, tears clogging his throat.

"I'm sorry..." Sora repeated, "I never meant to do this to you. And I have no idea how to do this, Riku, but I'm willing to try, for you." he sighed, "You're my best friend, Riku, and I don't want to lose you. I can't promise it will work out, but I'd be an even bigger ass than I already am if I wasn't willing to try it."

Riku stared at him, not caring that he was letting Sora see that he was crying. "What... what are you saying?"

"I want to try dating... you..." Sora said, trailing off awkwardly, "Fuck that sounds creepy."

Riku looked disappointed. "I guess I am dreaming after all. God, why is this so unfair? Why does my brain keep torturing me like this? I..." He shook his head, a few more tears slipping down his face.

Sora walked over, putting both his hands on Riku's shoulders, "Dude, I can't promise more than this, but you're definitely not dreaming. And if you are, call me when you wake up so I don't have to dangle from your window again. Fucking scary."

Riku's eyes widened and he hesitantly brought his hand up to touch Sora's, jumping back once he made contact. "Holy shit!" he yelled. "This is real? You want to... you want to date me?"

Sora opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a knock on the door, "Riku, are you okay? I heard yelling." His sister's voice called.

Sora glanced over, "Your sister's here?"

"Yeah. And my brother. And Namine. It shouldn't surprise you, really, since I cried all over Aerith, got drunk with Reno, and yelled at Nami." Riku said, before saying louder: "I'm fine! I'll... I'll be out in a few minutes, okay? Please just give me some time."

"Of course!" his sister's voice called back, "I'm making dinner, think you'll feel up to eating?" she asked, unable to hear Sora cursing under his breath about putting Riku through too much shit.

Riku's stomach growled. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Thanks!" He yelled through the door, before turning to face Sora. "Are you asking me out?" He bluntly asked, wiping the tear tracks from his face. "Because if you are, I have to know why. If it's because you... you feel bad, or you just want your friend back... Look, eventually, I'll get over it. Over... over you. And find myself a boyfriend who won't hurt me. I don't want a pity relationship."

Sora shook his head, "No. It's nothing like that. I mean, yeah, it's partially wanting you back, because dude, I have no life outside of you, I proved that this weekend. I... I want to try this. I don't want to see you upset again, and it's not because I feel bad or anything (even though I do, but that's not the point.) I'm... I'm fucking coherent tonight, huh?" he sent Riku a smile, hoping to dislodge some of the tension, "I suck at this."

Riku tentatively smiled back. "Yes, you do." His smiled fell, however, as he asked seriously, "But do you... would you really be able to... you told me you're not gay. Are you really going to be okay with telling people you're my boyfriend? And having me announce you as mine? I won't hide in the closet with you. I want something... real. You'd be comfortable dating me? Holding hands?"

"As long as you don't mind taking it slow so I can figure out what the fuck I'm doing, Riku, I'm fine with anything." Sora promised.

"I want something real." Riku whispered. "I don't want to start something only to get crushed again. Please, please don't do this unless you are really willing to try, because I don't know if I could take it."

Sora put his hands on Riku's shoulders again, "I promise Riku, I'm really willing to try this."

Riku took a deep breath and smiled. He stepped away from Sora and towards his door, holding out his hand. "Prove it."

"Sure." Sora said, taking Riku's hand, "But you're explaining how I got in here."

Riku stared down at their interlaced fingers and squeezed lightly, immediately feeling Sora's answering squeeze. His grin widened, and his chest hardly hurt anymore. Maybe... Maybe this could work.

Unlocking the door, he opened it and led Sora through into the living room, where Namine and Reno were standing talking to Aerith as she cooked dinner. He cleared his throat, feeling all their eyes turn to them.

"Hey." He said lamely, attempting a smile.

Aerith (barely) resisted the urge to throw the pan she was holding into the air, pretty sure that Reno's reflexes wouldn't catch it in time. "Hi." she said, lamely, "Uhh... how did Sora get in?"

"Through the window." Reno grumbled, "Used to do that all the fucking time years ago. Should've realized."

Aerith glanced at Reno and then at Sora, and then finally back to Riku, "But you're on the third floor!"

"That's never seemed to stop him." Riku said shrugging, his heart mending a little more as the tug pulled on his hand still linked with Sora's.

Namine took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Riku? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Nami. Sorry for worrying you." Riku said, smiling at her.

"Why are you and Sora holding hands?" Namine asked, glancing at Reno and Aerith before looking at the couple, worry clearly written on her face.

Riku took one look at the frozen look on Sora's face and decided that he would answer the question first, but not letting him completely off the hook. "He decided to try being my boyfriend. I accepted because I love him. Now he's going to prove it by saying it out loud. In front of my family and closest friend besides himself. Right, Sora?"

Sora gave Riku a look, "You're trying to make me babble incoherently again, aren't you?"

Riku shook his head. "While that was amusing the first time, I really do want to hear the words come out of your mouth. I want something real, remember? If this is too much for you, say it right now."

Namine nodded in firm agreement, glad Riku wasn't letting his love for Sora blind him to the fact that the brunette was deep, deep in the closet.

"I came over here and snuck in his window to tell him that I wanted to try this, so we're trying it. We're dating." Sora said, hoping the words connected right.

Riku's smile was pure joy. He squeezed Sora's hand. "See? Now that wasn't so hard to say, was it?"

Namine laughed, rushing over to hug Riku. "I'm so happy for you! I had hoped things would work out!"

Riku gave her a one armed hug in response, unwilling to let go of Sora's hand just yet. "Thanks, Nami. For everything."

Namine grinned as she pulled back, stepping over to Sora and looking him dead in the eye. "Sora, I love you like a brother. But I'm Riku's best friend now that you're his boyfriend, which means I love him more. Don't hurt him again. I'm glad you finally came to your senses, though." She gave him a quick hug, before stepping back and standing next to Reno, smiling at him in amusement as he had tracked her every move with his eyes.

"Trust me, I never want to see what I came through the window to ever again." Sora said.

"I'd have half a mind to smack you right now for what you did to my brother." Aerith said, "But I won't, because I think Riku might not like that."

"Oh, no. Don't mind me. Just don't do any lasting, permanent damage, and we're good." Riku teased.

Aerith rolled her eyes, "You guys mind if I call Zack and see if he wants to come by and eat?"

"Actually, now that Sora's here, I should really be getting home." Namine said. "I don't want to leave Kairi alone to fend for herself."

"You can invite her too, if you want. I made plenty, since I don't trust these two to eat healthy if I don't cook for them." Aerith smiled.

"Well... If you're sure... Let me just call her, then. Thank you. Excuse me." Namine said, taking a few steps away from everyone as she hurriedly called her sister and explained what had happened, giving her the apartment's address. Thankfully, Namine had had a meeting with group partners this morning and so hadn't driven herself over, so that Kairi now had the car. Hanging up and walking back over, she asked Aerith if she needed any help.

Aerith shook her head, "Nope, just about done. Actually, could you ask the boys if they want a salad? Looks like they have enough stuff here for me to pull one together."

"Sure!" Namine said, heading into the living room where Riku and Sora had settled on the couch and Reno was in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Do you want salad with dinner?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Riku said, stomach rumbling again.

"Yes to the salad, Aerith!" Namine called out to the woman in the kitchen.

She frowned at Reno, who so far hadn't said anything more about Riku or Sora or anything. She poked him in the shoulder. Hard.

"Hm?" Reno jolted, glancing at her, "Oh. Sorry, Nami." he chuckled.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this quiet." Namine said, frowning.

Riku glanced at his brother. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Reno insisted, "Just a little tired and trying to think of the best way to call out of work."

Sora looked over, and then connected Reno's face with the bartender from the restaurant. "Ah, damn it." he muttered.

Reno chuckled, "About time."

"What? Did I miss something?" Riku asked, looking between his guilty-looking boyfriend and his smirking brother.

"Your boyfriend spent the last two nights at my bar." Reno said, "And didn't recognize me."

Riku narrowed his eyes at Sora. "You were getting so drunk you couldn't recognize Reno? Reno? What the hell was wrong with you?"

"I didn't say I was in much better shape than you were." Sora mumbled.

Riku's gaze softened. "Sora..."

Namine sighed, grinning at the pair of them. "Come on, Reno. Help me set the table so they can have a moment together. Didn't I tell you they would be perfect together?" The blonde asked as she pulled Reno from his chair and led him out of the living room.

Reno chuckled, following Namine as she led him into the other room, "I'm gonna miss seeing you around now that Riku's happy again."

Namine smiled. "Really? Well, it's not like I can't come visit him when he's happy. And who says I can't stop by just to visit you?"

"I hope you do." Reno smiled, "Even though we didn't do much more than watch TV and pig out on cookies."

"And sleep. Don't forget sleep. Ahh, TV, food, and sleep - the foundation of a solid relationship." Namine laughed, teasing the redhead as they set plates and silverware around the table.

Reno laughed, "Well, all relationships start somewhere. We've progressed to dinner as well." he said, gesturing to the table.

Namine giggled. "It's like a date!" She said as she brushed past him and headed into the kitchen to grab the salad bowl and dressings.

Reno chuckled softly, but didn't say anything. Someone knocked on the door.

Zack walked into the apartment. "All right, where's the guy who upset Riku?" He demanded.

Riku chuckled. "He's right here, Zack. But don't worry, we worked it out."

Zack took one look at their still intertwined hands and grinned. "Well, damn. Good for you, Riku. He's hot!" Zack winked at the couple before heading back to the kitchen and kissing his wife soundly on the lips. "Thanks for cooking again, baby."

Aerith smiled, "No problem. Thanks for coming."

Zack winked at her. "Anytime, baby. Anytime. So, need help?"

"Nope, just about done. You can check to see if Namine and Reno need help in the dining room if you want, but they're probably done by now." Aerith said, smiling.

Zack grinned, giving Aerith one more kiss before making his way into the other room.

"Well, I don't think we've met. I'm Zack, Aerith's husband and Reno's best friend. Actually, I think I'm his only friend. Reno, don't just stand there! Introduce me to your girlfriend!" Zack said. Namine giggled.

Reno rolled his eyes, "This is Namine, Riku's best friend. She's been practically living here since Riku moved into his bedroom permanently, but him moving out of his bedroom will hopefully not affect the amount of time she spends here."

Namine rolled her eyes but her smile didn't lessen. She held out her hand to shake Zack's. "It's nice to meet you!"

Zack shook her hand, grinning at Reno. "She's already better than your past five girlfriends!"

"Have I had five girlfriends?" Reno asked, before glancing at Namine, "I'm joking, I promise."

Namine just shook her head at the two of them. "I can see why you two are best friends." She said with a laugh. "But, Zack? Reno and I aren't dating. At least, he hasn't asked me out. I'm going to grab the loving couple from the living room." Namine laughed quietly again, heading into the living room, telling her best friend and his boyfriend to get into the dining room, already, because it was almost time to eat.

Aerith walked into the room holding more food and put it on the table as someone knocked at the door. Reno walked out of the room, swinging the door open to reveal Kairi standing there looking only half sure she had the right apartment.

"Kairi?" Reno guessed.

"Yeah, that's me." Kairi nodded, "Good, I'm not knocking on some strange person's door."

"Kairi! Just in time!" Namine said, walking up behind Reno. "Dinner's ready. Kairi, this is Reno, Riku's brother. Reno, this is my twin sister Kairi."

"Nice to meet you." Reno nodded.

"You too." Kairi smiled, walking past him into the apartment to join her sister and smacking Sora on the shoulder on the way as form of greeting.

Sora rolled his eyes.

Namine followed, rolling her eyes but otherwise saying nothing about it. "Everyone, this is Kairi. Kairi, that's Aerith, Riku's sister, and her husband Zack. You just met Reno. You should vaguely recognize Riku, but since his hibernation, you may not. And of course, you know Sora. Notice the handholding? I give you complete credit for that. Thank you."

Riku grinned. "Yeah, I'll second that. Thanks, Kairi, for making Sora realize how lost he is without me."

Zack laughed. "Damn, Reno. They're more sarcastic than you are!"

"I will take full credit and ask for payment next time I have to sit on Sora's porch until he gets home." Kairi shrugged, "Congrats." she told them sincerely.

Riku smiled sincerely at her. "Thank you."

"Alright, everyone ready to eat?" Aerith asked.

As everyone sat down and dug in after a resounding reply of 'yes!', Riku glanced at Sora before reluctantly releasing his hand.

Sora smiled at him, reassuring him that he wasn't going anywhere.

Zack stood up and cleared his throat, grinning at Aerith. "Guys? Aerith's pregnant. We're having a baby!"

Aerith smiled, "We figure since you're all happy again, it's a good time to tell you. I blame all of you for putting me through mental distress if something happens to this baby."

XXXX

And everyone's happy again! Yaaaaaaaay! Just in time too. On a completely unrelated note, Jas and I are almost out of prewritten chapters. :( Will this affect our updating? Hopefully not. But she's busy with JulNo, and I have literally been SWALLOWED by cleaning for the last… week. I'm cleaning ONE ROOM. It should NOT take this long!

T_T

And speaking of, time to hop back into it now. So close to being finished. So close.

Thanks for reading, guys!


	15. Flirting Manwhore, Thy Name is Xigbar

It's Jasmine. I have to be at work in less than 8 hours and I'm still awake posting this. Although, I define 'awake' loosely.

This is from Cami: "Blah blah blah, I'm Jasmine, this is the disclaimer Cami never writes, Xigbar's mine now, and Axel's having a heart attack. Enjoy."

Some clarifications: Xigbar was originally written by Cami. In all chapters before this one, that's true. However, he switches hands in this chapter. So from here on out, he's mine. Mwahahaha! Disclaimer: We don't own KH or FF.

Also, we wrote this chapter so long ago I forget the Axel reference she makes. Oh well. Read and find out, I guess.

XXXX

Kairi didn't know a lot about cars, but she knew cars were not supposed to make THAT sound. Pulling into the driveway as quickly as she could, she turned it off and looked at her sister.

"I think..." Namine said slowly, "that you need to take the car to the repair shop tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan..." Kairi said, "I don't have any classes, but you have class in the morning, right? Think you can get a ride?"

The blonde shrugged. "If I can't, I'll just walk. It's not so far that walking is impractical; driving is just convenient and a time saver."

"Well, I'll see if Sora minds." Kairi said, "Walking from here is impractical to any normal person." she rolled her eyes.

"As you oh so kindly remind me, I am not necessarily normal." Namine stated, heading inside and flipping through their mail.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Anything good?"

Namine shook her head. "No, it's all junk. Here." She handed her sister the mail stack.

"Oh, thanks." Kairi grumbled, unlocking the door and pushing it open, dropping the mail onto the table.

"You're welcome!" the blonde said, slipping off her shoes and stretching before heading to the stairs. "I have some homework I need to work on before tomorrow, so I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Good luck with that." Kairi said, pulling her jacket off and tossing it on the couch before plopping down herself.

Namine rolled her eyes. "Thanks." She said, climbing the stairs and heading into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her to block out any Kairi-related noise.

XXXX

Late the next morning, Kairi drove the car the two miles to the Rusty Wrench, pulling it in as quickly as she could as it began to make that noise again and she didn't want to be inside the car if it decided to blow up... or something. She hopped out as she turned it off and found herself face to face with Xigbar, who had heard the noise and come to investigate.

"That doesn't sound good." he commented.

"I figured." Kairi said, "Started last night."

"What the hell are you _doing_, Xig? You _trying_ to blow up an engine or something?" Cloud yelled from the back room, coming out and spotting a redhead with his coworker. "Hi... And you are?"

"Oh!" Kairi said, startled somewhat, "I'm Kairi. And it's my car making the potential self destruct noise, so if you guys could figure out why and fix it, I'd be forever grateful." she said.

"Well, something is definitely wrong with your engine, from the grinding sounds its making. It's gonna take a while to fix - engine work is never easy. Xig, give her the paperwork while I pop the hood." Cloud said, striding over to the car to do just that.

Xigbar grumbled but turned towards the desk, throwing a "follow me" behind him to the redhead. Sitting down and searching for the right forms, he asked: "How long have you had that car?"

Kairi had to think for a minute, "Couple of years. I think Nam and I got it for graduation, so..." she paused, "Four years or so."

"And you've never brought it in for any kind of check-ups." Xigbar bluntly stated, shaking his head.

"That sounds about right." Kairi nodded.

Xigbar sighed, affecting a stern voice and wagging his finger at the redhead. "Bad girl. Bad. Ideally, you need everything checked out at least once a year. Otherwise, things like this happen. Here, you need to sign this giving us permission to work on your car and keep it here until it's fixed."

"Didn't know cars needed doctors appointments like children." Kairi said, signing the sheet of paper.

"Of course they do. Haven't you ever heard a guy refer to his car as his baby? That's the reason!" Xigbar explained.

"I'll be sure to treat 'er nicer now, then." Kairi chuckled, "So... have any idea how long it'll take?" she asked, "All the people who could potentially give me rides anywhere are in class."

"I haven't looked at it yet, so I couldn't answer that. C'mon; you'll have to ask Cloud." Xigbar said, standing up and placing the signed forms into a folder before leading the redhead back through the maze of tools and parts over to where Cloud was bent over poking at things under the hood of Kairi's car.

"How's it lookin'?" Xig asked.

Cloud shook his head, standing and glaring at the redhead. "You've never had this thing checked before, have you?" To Xigbar, he said: "It's pretty much DOA."

Xigbar winced.

Kairi sighed, "Be completely truthful with me here. Is it a better idea to call my dad and guilt him into buying me and Nam a new car?"

"Are you insinuating that I can't fix it?" Cloud glared.

"Honey, I haven't seen an engine yet that Cloud here couldn't fix. Give him some time before you call daddy. If you've got time, you can hang here until you can get a ride, or you can wait 'til my lunch hour and I'll drop you off wherever." Xigbar said.

"I didn't mean anything against your car-fixing-ability, _person-I-don't-know_. I'm worried about affording the parts." Kairi rolled her eyes.

Cloud frowned. "How much can you handle?"

"Uhh..." Kairi frowned, thinking, "Not too much immediately, but if this is a pay-on-pickup sort of deal, I should be able to get some cash from my dad."

"You've got some corrosion in here that is going to dramatically increase the price and make the repair twice as difficult. If you can cover the manual labor cost, I'll eat the cost of the parts." Cloud said.

Xigbar chuckled. "Got you wondering if you can do it, huh?"

Cloud grinned. "Of course I can! But it might be a challenge. And after all the routine shit we've been doing lately, a challenge is greatly appreciated."

Xigbar nodded. "Whaddya say, Sassy? Can you cough up the $500 for Cloud to do the work?"

Kairi found herself hesitating, "You don't have to do that..."

"You're right, I don't. But I want to work on this car and show Xigbar here what a true mechanic's skills look like, instead of the imitation work he does." Cloud smirked.

Xigbar lightly punched his arm. "Hey, hey. I'm good at my job."

"Sure. Good. But I'm great at it. And I will always be better." Cloud said. "Don't even think about disagreeing. You know it's true. You also know I'm now dating your roommate and can make your life twice as difficult as it already is. Xig? Shut up."

Xig glared and sent the redhead a shrug, miming zipping his lips.

Kairi giggled, "Well, thank you, and if I can do anything to make up for it, lemme know."

"Can you cook?" Cloud asked, eyeing her.

Xigbar snorted, forgetting he was supposed to be quiet. "Is all you ever think about food and mechanics?"

Cloud smirked evilly. "Nope. I also think about having sex with your roommate."

Xigbar made a horrified face at the mental image and shut up.

"I'm sure I can whip something up." Kairi said, "If I'm feeling particularly grateful, I'll even pay Roxas to cook."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Roxas? College student Roxas? The blonde haired, blue eyed boyfriend of Axel?"

"The boyfriend is news that I am going to have to ask Sora about, but sounds right, yeah." Kairi nodded.

Cloud smiled. "Yeah, sounds right. I live with Axel; I met Roxas this weekend. You're friends with his brother, I take it?"

"Yep." Kairi nodded. "Small world, apparently."

"Well, definitely get Roxas to cook something. Axel brags way too much about his cooking. I need to taste it for myself. Do that, and I'll gladly cover the parts. Well, half of them. Xig'll cover the other half." Cloud said, jerking a thumb at his coworker.

"Oh, I will huh?" Xigbar asked, incredulous.

"Yes, you will. You still owe me for the pranking fiasco that increased all our blood pressures. Do this and we're even." Cloud glared.

Xigbar sighed. "Fine, fine. I'd do it anyway for the cutie, here." He winked.

Kairi's cheeks turned a little pink, but she smirked, "Well, thank you. And I'll convince Roxas to cook something. Any requests?"

"Oh! Oh! Blueberry pie! Please, please! Blueberry pie!" Xigbar said, practically drooling.

"Shut up - you don't get to pick." Cloud said. "Strawberry shortcake would be great."

"But... the blueberries..." Xigbar said, deflating.

Kairi laughed, turning to Xigbar, "I can get him to make both." she said, batting her eyelashes and going way overboard on purpose.

Xigbar grinned, taking her hand and dropping to his knees. "Darling, marry me?"

Cloud smacked the back of his head.

Kairi laughed, "I'll think about it." she winked.

Xigbar scowled at Cloud before grinning up at Kairi, kissing her hand before standing up. "Every second will be spent in suspence until you accept, my love."

Cloud smacked him again. "Cut it, would you?"

"Aw, just 'cause you're taken doesn't mean you can stop me from flirting. Even you should appreciate how gorgeous Sassy here is." Xigbar said.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I will never understand the appeal." He said, before deeming the conversation over and diving back under the hood of the car.

"Hey, don't listen to him. He's gay, what does he know? You're gorgeous, honey." Xigbar said with a grin and a wink.

"Well, thank you." Kairi smiled.

"Anytime. So, you gonna call for a ride or wait for my lunch break?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi glanced at her watch, "Sora doesn't get out of class for another two hours. When's your break?"

Xigbar looked at the clock and smirked. "It's right now - isn't that convenient?"

"That it is." Kairi smiled, "You sure you don't mind?"

"How could I mind your company?" Xigbar asked.

Cloud made gagging noises from underneath the hood of the car and said: "Don't you think you're laying it on a bit thick, there?"

"And this is why you are gay, Cloud. Women deserve compliments. Right, Sassy?"

Kairi giggled, "Well, flattery is one of the fastest ways into a girl's heart, it's true."

"Exactly!" Xigbar said. "Good luck with the car, Cloud. I'll leaving with Red here. Be back in a hour." He offered Kairi his hand.

Kairi took it, smiling at him, and glanced over at her car, "Thanks again. I'll come back tomorrow with the food."

"Bring the money, too, if you can. I'll have it done by then." was the muffled reply.

Xigbar tugged Kairi after him before she could answer, taking her out the back door and over to his car, gallantly opening the door for her and gesturing her inside with a bow. Getting into the driver's seat, he glanced at her. "Where to?"

"My house isn't too far. I can make you lunch, if you want, since you're driving me home." Kairi smiled.

"Oh, yeah. You just might have to marry me." Xigbar said, grinning, as he pulled out and followed the redhead's directions.

XXXX

Hayner rolled his eyes as he sped up a bit so that he was walking side by side with his blonde haired, blue eyed, muscular, taller stalker.  
"Where you heading, Seifer?" He asked, grinning.

Seifer didn't even look at the blonde, recognizing the voice immediately, "To my car. Just got out of class."

"And your car just happens to be on my way to the cafeteria?" Hayner asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Newsflash kid, there's parking behind the cafeteria." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"I know that!" Hayner huffed. "There's also several other parking lots, at least two of which that would be closer to your last class. And don't call me kid, dammit!"

"They also fill up really quickly, and I got here late." Seifer grumbled.

Curious, Hayner decided to drop his anger in favor of asking: "Why did you get here late?"

"Do you always question things that are none of your business?" Seifer asked.

"It is too my business! I need to know if you were doing any creepy stalking, which made you late getting here!" Hayner snapped.

"That's it." Seifer said, turning on the younger blonde, "I am sick and tired of you being so fucking suspicious and paranoid about everything. Who the HELL would want to stalk such a sick, insane kid like you? Shut the FUCK up and leave me alone." he snapped at him, pushing open the doors that lead to the cafeteria parking lot, jumping in his car and driving away.

Hayner stared after him, jaw opening and closing before it snapped shut and he glared. "What the fuck got his panties in a bunch?" He grumbled. Turning on his heel, deciding lunch could wait, he headed to the groups' usual spot, hoping his friends would be there.

Relaxing as he saw his sister talking to Roxas, Hayner plopped down next to them.

"Seifer's a dick." He announced.

Roxas gave him a look. "What the hell did you do now?"

"Why is it always my fault?" Hayner yelled.

"Because you're an idiot who talks first and thinks later. What happened?" Roxas explained.

Hayner glared. "He was stalking me. Again. And when I asked why, he said he was running late, so that's why he was parked next to the cafeteria. I asked why, explaining that I needed to know if he was stalking me this morning, and he exploded like I was the one doing something wrong! Can you believe that?"

Olette's mouth opened in surprise and then closed and she glanced at Roxas with a worried and slightly apologetic look in her eyes.

Roxas's eye twitched. "You fucking asshole!"

"What the hell, Rox?" Hayner yelled back.

"You are such an idiot! For the last time, he is not stalking you! Everyone knows that the cafeteria parking lot sucks and is a bitch to get in and out of! The only reason he'd park there is if the other spots were taken!" Roxas snapped.

"Fine! But that doesn't explain why he snapped when I asked why he was running late!" Hayner glared.

Roxas groaned. "How did you even get into college?"

"Hey!" Hayner yelled, smacking Roxas's shoulder.  
Roxas hit him back. "It's not your fucking business why he was late! God, you probably made him sound like a creepy pedophile or something! Has this guy ever done anything remotely creepy around you? A real stalker would have kidnapped or molested you by now, and all this guy wants is to be left alone! God, Hayner!"

Hayner glared, but it had no real power behind it. His mind was furiously trying to think of some instance to prove to Roxas that Seifer was stalking him, but as he thought about it more and more, his best friend's words sunk in and he paled slightly. "Shit." He muttered.

Roxas nodded. "Yup. Dude, you need to find him and apologize to him for being an ass."

Hayner grimaced. "He probably hates me."

"That's your own fault! I told you a million times he wasn't stalking you! Now, suck it up and admit you were wrong." The smaller blonde glared.

"All right, all right. Geez, Roxas, you sure don't take it easy on a guy. Even when he's your best friend!" Hayner griped.

Roxas gave him a small smile. "It's 'cause you are my best friend, duh. Who else is gonna tell you when you're being a dick?"

Hayner lightly hit him. "Yeah, yeah. I was wrong, okay? Next time I see him, I'll apologize and hope he doesn't punch me."  
Roxas shrugged. "If he hasn't yet, I doubt he will when you're saying sorry."

Olette watched silently, wondering when this situation had gone from hilarious to rather threatening.

Hayner sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Dropping this now. How's Axel?"

Roxas's face lit up. "He's good. Great. Amazing. And a damn fine kisser."

"Eww, you guys are already making out?" Hayner asked, making a disgusted face.

Roxas smacked him. "Don't be jealous I got to make out with the sexiest redhead alive in his bed all weekend and the closest you got to any action was when you used your right hand."

"And that is my cue to leave." Olette rolled her eyes, "See you guys after class." she chuckled.

Roxas chuckled. "Later, 'Lette."

Hayner was blushing fiercely, glaring at Roxas. He grumbled out a goodbye to his sister, before turning on his best friend. "Please don't tell me you're turning into one of those people who has to constantly brag about their relationship."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You asked."

Hayner sighed. Today was just not his day, apparently. "Trust me, I won't be asking anymore."

"Aw, Hayner. Don't be like that. I want you to get to know Axel. He really is a great guy."

Hayner rolled his eyes. "The dude's like 25. What could we possibly have in common? What the hell do you have in common with him?"

"He's funny and smart and caring and a great artist and we like the same foods and music and he makes me happy. As my best friend, it's your responsibility to make sure he's good enough for me. It's in the handbook. Bro's before ho's." Roxas said.

Hayner chuckled. "Did you just call your boyfriend a ho?"

Roxas grinned. "Just... don't judge him 'til you meet him, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Hayner said, waving his hand. "I'm starving. Wanna grab lunch?"

"Sure." Roxas grinned, standing up with Hayner. Together they made their way to the cafeteria.

XXXX

Roxas paced in the living room, walking back and forth in front of the TV his brother was trying to watch. "What's taking them so long?"

Sora moved over to try and see the television and grimaced at his brother, "Who knows, Rox. Sit down, pacing isn't going to make it any faster."

Roxas sat down. Immediately his legs started bouncing. He managed to stay seated for one whole minute before shooting up again, resuming his pacing. "What if they got into an accident? Or Riku's clunker broke down again? They're a half hour late!"

"Or they got caught up at work or something." Sora said, "If you're worried, text Axel."

"Maybe..." Roxas trailed off, chewing his bottom lip. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, but threw it onto the couch when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" The blonde yelled, running to the door and yanking it open, only registering tall, red, mine before jumping onto his boyfriend.

Judging by the sounds of pouncing Sora heard, he assumed that they were here finally. Standing up, he switched the TV off and walked towards the door.

Riku was laughing at Axel, who had barely managed to catch Roxas, when he turned and saw Sora walking into the entryway. His face broke out into a huge grin, and everything else no longer mattered as he walked over to his boyfriend.

"Hi." He said, still grinning like an idiot.

"Hey." Sora smiled back, "What took you?"

"Our boss was actually at work today and gave a small speech right before our shift ended, so we had to stay to wait for him to stop talking." Riku explained. He stepped closer, but hesitated.

"Sora, can I hug you? Please?" He asked.

"Sure." Sora said, nodding at him.

Riku grinned and stepped close, wrapping his arms around Sora, carefully not to hold him too closely, afraid to scare him in any way. Resting his chin on the brunette's shoulder, he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoying the feeling of being in his boyfriend's - his boyfriend! Sora! - arms before stepping out of the hold, reaching down and automatically taking one of Sora's hands into his own.

Roxas finally climbed down from Axel, tugging his head down to kiss him soundly before grabbing his hand and allowing him to actually enter his house.

He was about to say something to his boyfriend when he stopped, noticing Riku's grin and his hand holding his brother's.  
"Holy shit! Sora! Why didn't you tell me you're dating Riku?" Roxas glared at his brother.

"I tried." Sora rolled his eyes, "You were a little distracted."

Axel raised an eyebrow, "Distracted by what?" he asked Roxas.

Roxas just gave him a look. "I wonder..." He muttered, before focusing on the couple in front of him. "Well, congrats! Riku's only been trying to get you to notice him for years now!"

"Roxas!" Riku hissed, clearly not wanting the blonde to go further.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Riku. A blind man could've seen how in love you were with my brother. I approve, by the way. Actually, I'm more worried about Sora messing it up than you."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Rox. You're so nice."

Axel chuckled, putting his arm over Roxas's shoulders.

Riku chuckled. "Thanks, Roxas. It's good to know you're on my side."

Roxas grinned. "By the way, official introductions: Axel, that's my older brother Sora. Sora, this is my boyfriend Axel."

"Hi." Sora said, not really good at the older brother threatening thing. Roxas's last boyfriend had been threatened by Kairi while she was over hanging out with Sora, not Sora himself.

Riku gave Sora a look. "That's it? A guy six years older than your younger brother is currently dating him, and all you have to say is 'hi'?"

"He'll get it eventually." Sora said, "From... Kairi, probably."

Axel raised an eyebrow again, "Well, no worries. I'm not gonna hurt Roxas."

Roxas smiled up at his boyfriend, leaning into him, before chuckling softly. "I know that."

Riku grinned at them. "You guys are incredibly sappy, you know that?"

"Look who's talking! You look like someone just told you Christmas came early this year, and all you're doing is holding my brother's hand!" Roxas retorted, sticking his tongue out.

Sora rolled his eyes, but stayed silent.

Riku squeezed Sora's hand, smiling at him. "That's because we're comfortable like this and in no need to rush into things."

"...Now _that _was sappy. C'mon, Axel, I wanna show you my room!" Roxas said, dragging the redhead towards the stairs.

Axel laughed and was about to follow when another redhead walked through the still open door.

"You know, keeping doors open is kind of a bad idea." she raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Kai." Sora chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, hi." Kairi brushed him off, "Roxas! I need to steal you for a moment. Sorry boyfriend-I-still-need-to-threaten." she grabbed Roxas's arm and dragged him into the kitchen.

"What the hell? Axel! Help!" Roxas yelled as he was pulled into the kitchen.

Axel's eyes widened, and he glanced at Sora who shook his head.

"Kairi won't hurt him. Give her a few, and then save him." he suggested.

Riku nodded. "He's probably right."  
"What the hell?" Roxas repeated as Kairi finally let go of him.

"Sorry, sorry." Kairi said, "At least I didn't interupt later."

Roxas crossed his arms, glaring at the redhead who was blocking his way back to his boyfriend. "What do you want?"

"Answer one question and I promise not to bother you anymore." Kairi said.

Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"How much do I need to pay you to get you to bake me a strawberry shortcake and a blueberry pie?" Kairi asked.

"Why do you want a strawberry shortcake and a blueberry pie?" Roxas asked, completely thrown by the question.

"The guys at the garage are paying for the parts for my car repair for me." Kairi said, "I said I'd get them food in exchange, and your food is the best around."

"What kind of garage is that?" Roxas asked. "Who's your mechanic? I'll have to tell Sora to go there if they're so nice."

"It's the one Axel's roommate works at." Kairi said, "So, technically I'm asking you to cook for your boyfriend's roommate."

"Cloud?" Roxas asked. "You should've said that sooner! Sure I'll make the desserts for you. How about you just owe me a favor in exchange?"

"Sure, sounds good." Kairi grinned, "Thanks so much, Roxas."

Roxas grinned. "No problem! Can I go back to my boyfriend now?"

"Yep, feel free." Kairi stepped out of the way, "Thanks again."

Roxas nodded before rushing out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Riku, Sora, and Axel had settled. "Axel!" He ran to the redhead sitting in one of the chairs, jumping into his lap before he could stand.

Axel caught him again, getting rather good at it, and chuckled, "Done talking to Kairi?"

The redhead walked out of the kitchen, "Yes he is." she said, "And since he was so nice, I'll hold off from doing Sora's job of threatening you for a little while."

Roxas chuckled from Axel's lap, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck, snuggling in close.

Riku shook his head at them from his seat on the couch, still firmly grasping Sora's hand.

"Oh! That's right - I was going to show you my room." Roxas said, grinning at Axel, staring into his mesmerizing green eyes.

"Right." Axel said, "Let's go, then?"

Sora squeezed Riku's hand and offered him a smile.

Roxas's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh, but Axel... I kinda don't want to get up right now." The blonde said, purposefully saying the same thing he had said last time he was snuggling with his boyfriend, which had led to a very nice make-out session in his bed.

Axel stood up, swinging Roxas into his arms, "Point me in the right direction."

"Are you seriously going to carry him? His room is upstairs, you know." Riku said.

"Why not?" Axel asked, "He's not heavy."

Roxas giggled.

Riku shook his head. "That's not the point. He has two legs that work just fine. Doesn't it feel... I don't know, weird, to carry him?"

"Not really?" Axel asked, "What's with the questions, man?"

"The one person here who should be questioning you doesn't know how to start and Roxas bribed his back-up somehow, so it's up to me." Riku said, shrugging.

Roxas shifted in Axel's arms, pressing his face to his chest, tuning everyone else out and just marveling at how incredibly awesome his boyfriend is.

Axel chuckled, "On that note, see you three later." he said, heading for the stairs.

Roxas looked up into Axel's face as he easily climbed the stairs, reaching up to cup the redhead's cheek. "Axel..."

Axel looked down at him, "Hmm?"

Roxas just shook his head, smiling goofily at him. "Second door on the right."

Axel walked down the hall, pushing open the door before setting Roxas down on the ground and putting an arm over his shoulders.

Roxas reached behind him, firmly shutting the door before pulling Axel down for a kiss.

Axel smirked, giving the blonde what he wanted.

XXXX

Riiiiiight. Roxas is a tad hyper/obsessed when it comes to Axel. Maybe a little.

*smirks evilly* Wait til you see what I make him do next! Mwahahaha!

It's officially too damn early in the morning for this. Thank you to all who read this, please review. Good night!


	16. I Said I'm Sorry, Dammit!

Hayner sighed when he noticed the familiar outline of Seifer moving through the crowd. Taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump in his throat that was part fear, part pride, he approached the blonde.  
"I'm sorry!" He blurted, blushing and avoiding eye contact.

Seifer either didn't hear him or didn't care because when Hayner peeked up a moment later, he was several feet down the hall, continuing to walk as if Hayner had never existed.

Hayner groaned, rushing to catch up. He grabbed the blonde's arm. "Don't be a dick. I'm sorry, all right? I was an idiot and an asshole and I'm sorry."

Seifer grumbled, "I have absolutely no reason to believe you, and I'm late for class." Pulling his arm out of Hayner's grip, he turned and started down the hall again.

Hayner growled. Easily catching up, he snapped: "That's it!" and shoved the blonde into an empty classroom, following close behind and shutting the door behind them, crossing his arms. "Look, I realize the last week or so I've been giving you hell and I'm trying to fucking apologize so stop running away and listen, goddammit! I freaked when I saw you all the time on campus, okay? I jumped to the wrong conclusion because I'm an idiot and it took some harsh words from my best friend to snap me out of it. I hate being wrong, dammit, so how many times do I have to say I fucked up and I'm sorry before you believe me?"

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Fine. I believe you're sorry, but that doesn't make the fact that my class starts in thirty seconds any less true." he glared, "Are you done?"

Hayner's shoulders slumped and his arms fell to his sides. Keeping his eyes on the floor, he stepped away from the door and nodded, fists clenching and unclenching.

Seifer sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to be late to class, "What?"

Hayner took a deep breath and lifted his gaze to meet the blonde's. A light blush dusted his cheeks. Without anger, in complete sincerity, he said: "I'm sorry." He offered his right hand, a small smile appearing on his face. "Hi, my name is Hayner. Nice to meet you. I promise I'm not psychotic."

Seifer sighed, taking the younger blonde's hand and shaking it, "Having trouble believing you on the psychotic thing, but I'll ignore it."

Hayner rolled his eyes, but returned the handshake. "So what class are you late for?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"If it's a history, I might be able to give you a good excuse, depending on the teacher. Any other class, you're shit outta luck and I say you might as well ditch. Everyone needs a mental health day, right?" Hayner said, grinning.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "It's a business class. My teacher won't be pleased, but I do need to get to it."

Hayner shrugged. "Whatever. See you later, then, Seifer."

"Yep." Seifer said. He stopped by the door, "And, uh, thanks for apologizing." With that, Seifer left.

Hayner shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets and leisurely following after him. Seifer might not want one, but a mental health day sounds pretty damn good to him...

XXXX

"Why did you drag me here again?" Sora asked Kairi, glancing at her.

"I needed a ride and I only have two hands and can't carry both of these AND open the door?" Kairi asked, "Because I wanted to? Does it really matter?"

Sora rolled his eyes, "Come on, then, I need to get going."

Kairi grabbed one of the two boxes, leaving Sora to pick up the other and headed for the door of the garage, pushing it open. Sora followed behind her.

Cloud got up from the desk where he was reluctantly doing paperwork when he heard the door open. Heading over, he said: "Welcome to the Rusty Wrench. Hey, Kairi, right? Axel told me last night you'd probably be stopping by today as he and Roxas baked last night." Cloud grinned. "Damn, that smells amazing."

Kairi peeked inside the one she was holding, "This one's yours." she said, handing it over and taking the other box from Sora, "And this is Sora, Roxas's older brother. Sora, Cloud- one of Axel's roommates."

"Ah, so you're Sora. Nice to meet you. I apologize in advance for Axel. Roxas is a great kid, though, and we definitely love having him around." Cloud said, grinning as he took the box from Kairi. To the redhead, he added: "Xig's in the back office - you can go on back."

"Glad Roxas isn't causing trouble." Sora chuckled, "I'm gonna get going to class, Kai. See you later." he waved, nodding to Cloud, and left the garage.

Kairi readjusted her grip on the box and pulled a check out of her pocket, "Here's that 500." she said to Cloud, "Thanks again."

Cloud stuffed the check into his pocket. "No problem, as long as this tastes as good as it smells. Think you can handle carrying both into the back office? I have to stay out here in case a customer comes in."

"As long as Xigbar will answer when I kick the door." Kairi nodded, taking the box back from him.

Cloud chuckled. "He'll be tripping over himself to open it once he hears you. I don't know what you slipped him when you fed him lunch, but he was wired the rest of the day."

Kairi laughed, "I just made him a normal sandwich." she promised, "Thanks, Cloud." she smiled, heading towards the back office. When she got to the door, she kicked it, really hoping Cloud was right.

"What the hell? Too lazy to open the door yourself?" Xigbar yelled, not moving from where he was sitting.

Kairi chuckled and called back, "My hands are full!"

Xigbar cursed, jumping up and yanking the door open. "Thought you were Cloud."

Kairi had a smirk on her face, "I figured. No worries." she smiled.

"Whatcha got, Red?" Xigbar asked, holding the door open wider so Kairi could squeeze past him and put the boxes down.

Kairi did so, putting Cloud's box down on the desk and handing the other one to Xigbar, "Your blueberry pie. And Cloud's strawberry shortcake, but he asked me to put it back here."

Xigbar grinned. "Hot damn. You really are amazing, you know that?" Xigbar placed the box next to Cloud's. "Thanks. You want a piece?"

"If you're willing to share." Kairi smiled, "And I didn't make it, Roxas did." she reminded him.

He winked. "I'm always willing to share with you." Crossing to the cabinets near the desk, he pulled out paper plates, forks, and napkins as well as a large knife. Opening his box, he grinned and inhaled deeply. "Your friend sure can cook."

"I take any opportunity to let Roxas cook for me." Kairi laughed, "I'll invite you for one of his dinners one time. You also have to try his cookies."

"He makes cookies for dinner? I'm there." Xigbar teased, cutting two slices of pie and plating them. "Hey, Sassy, that sounds an awful lot like you're asking me out on a date."

"Well, if you want it to be." Kairi winked.

Xigbar chuckled before taking a bite of pie. He groaned. "Oh god, forgetting dating. You're marrying me so that I'll always have desserts like this."

"You'd have to marry Roxas to do that." Kairi reminded him, taking a bite of her pie and smirking, "But I'm sure I can convince him to cook for you again."

"Red, I think I'm in love." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi giggled, batting her eyelashes.

"You busy later? We could have a real date, and you can decide if I'm worthy of the meeting-the-friends dinner. I promise I don't bite." Xigbar grinned cheekily.

"Sure." Kairi smiled back.

"Here." Xigbar put his pie down, grabbing a pen from his pocket and grabbing Kairi's hand, writing a series of numbers on her hand. "Call me."

Kairi snatched the pen from him and scribbled her own number on his hand, "My phone's always on." she winked.

Xigbar chuckled. "I gotta get back out there and help Cloud. But I'll call you later, Sassy. You won't get rid of me that easy."

"I have no plans to." Kairi winked, "Call me when you get off work and we'll go somewhere." she said.

Xigbar grinned. "You got it, Red." He finished off the last of pie before giving the rest a longing look and closing the lid, cleaning up and heading over to the door, holding it open for her.

Kairi walked out of the room, smiling at him.

"You have a ride home or something?" He asked as they made their way over to where Cloud was grumbling at paperwork.

"Good. You're here. You do the paperwork. I'll do my real job - fix mechanical things." Cloud said, pushing away from the desk in annoyance.

Kairi laughed, "I'm just heading to a place not far from here, so I'm gonna walk." she smiled.

"If you say so, Red." Xigbar said, shrugging as he took Cloud's place behind the desk. He scowled at the paperwork. "Dude, what the hell did you do? This was all organized last time I did it!"

"That statement proves I should be exempt from doing paperwork. I'm going to go take my bike apart now. See you later, Kairi. We're just waiting on your parts to come in - you'll have your car back in a few days. Xigbar, call me if there's a fire. Otherwise, leave me the hell alone." Cloud grumbled, giving Kairi a small wave as he walked over to his bike and disappeared under it, the sound of metal on metal filling the shop.

Kairi chuckled, "Have fun you two." she rolled her eyes, waving at Xigbar and leaving.

Xigbar admired her disappearing form before scowling down at the paperwork. Seriously, what the hell had Cloud done?

XXXX

Reno had noticed a trend with the customers that came to the bar. 99% of the time, they fit into one of three categories: There to watch sports, heartbroken/depressed in some way, or on a date. It was very rare to get a customer that didn't fall into these boundaries, which made Reno's job rather predictable.

He wiped down a part of the counter, tossing the rag down to its resting place and crossed the bar to see if one of his customers needed anything, but she was distracted by the blitzball game that was on and just shooed him away.

Namine headed to the bar, smiling as she saw Reno attempting to talk with one of his customers. The blonde sat down at the more empty end of the long, wooden bar Reno was working behind, taking a look around while she waited to be noticed.

Reno rolled his eyes at the customer and muttered something about predictable regulars before catching a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Namine sitting at the other end of the bar and allowed himself a small smile as he headed over, "Well, I didn't expect to see you here." he commented.

Namine grinned. "Hi, Reno. I was going to stop by your apartment earlier, but between classes and writing papers, I knew you'd have already left for work so I decided to visit you here."

"Well, I'm always in need of company here." Reno chuckled, "The regulars get boring after awhile. How have you been? I haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"I'm well, thanks. And you?" The blonde asked, tilting her head slightly and resting her chin in her hand, elbow on the bar.

"I'm not bad." Reno smiled. "Better now that Riku's not hiding out in his room constantly."

Namine sighed happily. "I think everyone is better now that that has settled down."

Reno nodded in agreement, "So, can I get you anything?"

"Do you have white wine?" Namine asked.

"Yes I do." Reno nodded, before smirking a little, "You sure you're old enough to be having wine, m'lady?"

Namine laughed and lowered her eyes, looking up at Reno through her eyelashes. "Do you want to see my identification?"

Reno smirked again, "I think I'm going to have to, dear. Wouldn't want to get in trouble."

"Oh, of course. Can't have that." Namine reached into her purse and handed her ID to Reno, smiling.

Reno checked it quickly and smiled, "Oh good, I can't get in trouble for doing anything to you." he winked, handing her ID back to her and crossing to get her wine without a word of explanation.

Namine blinked before sighing and tucking her ID back into her purse. _'For Sora's sake, I hope Riku doesn't blurt out things like that.'_

Oblivious to Namine's thoughts, Reno walked back over and put her wine down in front of her.

"Thank you." She murmured, taking a sip, pleasantly surprised that it tasted better than she had expected from a full bar - it didn't taste like cheap wine. Reaching for her purse again and deciding to ignore his previous statement for her mental health, she asked: "How much is it?"

"For you, free." Reno said, with a smile, "Hold on a sec, 'kay?" He crossed the bar to speak with a customer that was beckoning him over.

Namine frowned, taking enough money to cover her drink plus a generous tip out of her purse before resting it back on her lap and slipping the money under the bottom of her glass. She glanced at Reno, smiling as she watched him grin at something the customer said as he deftly flipped glasses and poured a drink.

Her smile widened as he made his way back over to her. "You're quite talented, aren't you?"

Reno smiled back, "You pick up a few tricks down the line."

"Do you like this job, then?" The blonde asked curiously.

"Love it." Reno smiled again, "It's not what my parents or Aerith would have picked out for me, but I enjoy going to work every day and I make more than enough money to support myself." he shrugged.

"Then it's the best kind of job to have." Namine smiled back, taking a sip of her wine.

Reno's eyes caught the money hiding under her glass as she picked it up and he raised an eyebrow, "Hey, I said your wine was on the house."

Namine raised an eyebrow. "And that was very sweet of you, but you don't own this place, so you can't just give away free drinks. You'd have to pay for it."

"And I'm perfectly okay with that." Reno said, "If you have to, consider it a thank you for all the help with Riku, though I wish you'd just accept it as a gift." he smiled. "Either way, I'm not taking any money as payment."

"You don't have to thank me," Namine said, waving a hand, "as I wasn't really doing it for you but for Riku. And whether you accept it or not, I'm not putting that money back into my purse."

"Put it in your bra, then." Reno shrugged, with a smirk. "Or I can put it there for you, if you'd prefer."

"Really, Reno. You're supposed to buy me dinner before trying to get your hands in my bra, not try to get me tipsy with wine. And before you say it, cookies and a meal cooked by Aerith do not count." Namine laughed. "Although, technically I suppose we did sleep together already..."

Reno smirked and went to retort, but a hand landing on his shoulder made him lose his thought and turn.

"Stop flirting with the customers and get back to work. This bar won't tend itself." The black haired woman standing there rolled her eyes at the two.

"Right. Sorry, Tifa." Reno chuckled, and Tifa rolled her eyes and walked off.

"I'm sorry, I'm getting you in trouble. Maybe I should leave..." Namine trailed off, uncertain.

"Don't you dare." Reno chuckled, "Just gimme a minute." he said, smiling at her and turning to serve someone.

Namine shook her head but sipped her wine, watching Reno work. Since he didn't want her to leave, maybe she could convince him to give her a ride home. Either way, he was definitely taking her money for the drink, especially since he got in trouble with his boss because of her.

As Reno finished with his customer, he turned back to her, "Hey, are you doing anything later?"

"Define later." Namine said. "Later tonight or tomorrow?"

"Tonight." Reno glanced past her at the clock, "I get off in a half hour. If you're not doing anything and don't mind sticking around, I could take you out for that dinner you mentioned." he winked.

Namine smiled. "I'd like that. But don't think you'll be successful getting anywhere with me tonight even after dinner. That's a privilege you'll just have to earn. Also, I'm definitely paying for this drink, then."

"As long as you'll let me pay for dinner." Reno said.

The blonde pretended to debate the matter internally before reluctantly nodding. "All right, you win."

Reno smiled, "Alright then."

XXXX

Demyx glanced over at Zexion, who was sitting next to him on the couch. The two were watching a movie, but Demyx wasn't paying too much attention. Trying to make conversation, he spoke, "So... I noticed a ton of books in your room."

Zexion turned from watching the movie to look at Demyx. "Ah, yes. I like to read."

"What kind of books do you like?" Demyx asked.

"I will read almost anything, but I prefer mysteries or historical fiction. Or... romances." Zexion blushed lightly.

Demyx raised an eyebrow but didn't press it. "What do you like about them?" he asked, trying to get Zexion talking. He felt like he'd done a lot of the talking lately and wanted to know more about his new friend.

"Well, have you ever read a really good book, something that you really enjoyed? It just kind of sucks you in and you're right there with the characters, laughing and crying and screaming at them. And then you look at the clock and realize it's 7pm and you haven't eaten all day but it didn't matter because the book was so good that reading it was worth it. That's what I like. I like escaping reality." Zexion explained.

Demyx smiled, "Yeah, I can understand that. I get that way when I'm working with music. I just love getting lost in it."

"Do you write your own music? Which instrument? Do you have a favorite? Just instrumentals or do you write lyrics, too?" Zexion asked in a rush then blushed lightly and offered a smile.

Demyx chuckled and smiled back, "I'll play anything with strings, admittedly some things with strings better than others. My favorite's the sitar, though, 'cause of how confused most people look when I tell them what I play." he said with a small smirk, "I write lyrics, but they're not that great."

"I'm sure you're underestimating them." Zexion reassured. "I'd love to hear you play or read your lyrics. I've always been impressed with people who can take nothing and turn it into something."

Demyx smiled a little, "I'll play for you sometime, then."

Zexion's face lit up with a genuine smile. "I'd really like that." He felt that weird twist in his stomach, again.

Demyx smiled back at him.

"Um. Tell me something about you that I don't know." Zexion said, turning his body to fully face Demyx, now completely ignoring the movie.

Demyx shifted as well so that he was facing Zexion, and thought for a moment, "Umm... I'm horrible at math."

"As in it's your least favorite subject to study or as in no matter how many times your teacher explains it, it just doesn't make sense to you?" Zexion asked curiously.

"Mix of both. It doesn't make sense to me, and therefore it's my least favorite subject." Demyx answered.

Zexion frowned. "How badly are you doing? I could tutor you..."

"I'm not failing yet, but I'm getting pretty close." Demyx admitted.

Zexion nodded. "Starting tomorrow after school, I'll tutor you. I promise it's not as hard as they make it seem. That is, if you want my help..."

"That'd be great." Demyx said with a smile, "Thank you, Zexion."

He smiled back. "You're welcome, Demyx."

XXXX

What's this? An update on a Wednesday? What kind of world is this? IS THIS REAL LIFE?

I'm a little sick right now, I apologize. (This is Cami, by the way.)

That's right! We're updating twice a week for the rest of August (at least, though that's probably going to be it. XD)

We start school at the very end of August, and I don't know how much writing we'll get done with school going on. If it's anything like last semester, the answer is 'not much.'

Speaking of school, I have to call my workplace now. These are connected, I promise. I just realized how random that sounded. XD

See you guys on Saturday!


	17. Seifer is Hot

Hi there, Jasmine here. I'm more coherent this time, I think. :D

So, a lot of plans are made in this chapter - things are happening, isn't it exciting?

We (Cami and I) don't own KH or FF.

NOTE: Cami and I do not in any way condone bullying, violence, bigotry, discrimination, etc. We are not supporting any of these things. If reading about these things bothers you greatly, you may want to skip this chapter, or at the very least skip the Roxas/Hayner/Seifer scene. (A scene involving all three characters, not a threesome scene - I feel like I need to make that clear.)

XXXX

Riku leaned forward and changed the radio station to one currently not playing a commercial before leaning back into his seat and grinning at the driver. "So did you pick a restaurant, Sora?"

"Yep." Sora grinned back at him before refocusing on the road.

Riku chuckled, shaking his head. "Are you going to tell me or make me wait until we get there?"

"Make you wait, of course." Sora laughed.

Riku sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. Just wait until next time!"

Sora laughed, but then his smile fell, "Hey, Riku?"

"Hm?" Riku hummed, fiddling with the radio again, trying to find a station that actually played music.

Sora was infinitely glad that he was driving and had an excuse not to look at Riku, "You, uh..." he paused, "Don't need to ask before you hug me, you know." he said, immediately feeling awkward.

"Oh." Riku sat back, forgetting about the radio. "Okay."

Sora glanced at him as he stopped at a light, "Sorry, that was awkward."

Riku shrugged. "Not really. I'm glad you told me. We never were the type of friends to hug a lot, so I felt like I had to ask to make sure you were okay with it. So, it's good to know you're okay with it."

Sora smiled at him.

Riku hesitated but slowly reached out and placed his hand over the one Sora had resting on his thigh, smiling and trying to not look like he wanted to jump his boyfriend, but oh God, did he want to jump his boyfriend. He was just so damn cute!

Sora smiled again, but had to refocus on the road as the light turned green.

Riku let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, grinning and lightly squeezing Sora's hand. "We almost there?"

"Yep." Sora nodded, "Five minutes or so."

Riku nodded, looking around at where they were. "Hey, are we going to that new Chinese restaurant that just opened up somewhere around here?"

Sora gave him a look, "Why can I never surprise you?" he asked, chuckling.

Riku grinned. "You'll just have to try harder next time."

Sora rolled his eyes and pulled into the restaurant parking lot, parking his car.

Still grinning, Riku let go of Sora's hand in order to undo his seat belt, stepping out of the car. He walking over to Sora's side of the car just as the brunette was climbing out and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

Only a little startled by the sudden hug, Sora hugged him back and chuckled, "No problem."

Pulling back and smiling softly, Riku reached for and held onto Sora's hand, waiting patiently for him to lock his car before they crossed the parking lot towards the restaurant. This was the first time he was holding Sora's hand in public, and for some reason that little thing made him really, really happy.

XXXX

"Seriously, Hayner, when don't you have soccer practice this week? I want you to meet Axel." Roxas said as they walked along the outdoor path to the building housing their next classes.

"Rox, I told you, with the end of the season approaching, Coach is really packing in the practices. I don't know yet. What're you doing for Halloween?" Hayner replied, rolling his eyes.

Roxas shrugged. "I don't know yet. Probably something with Axel. You and Olette doing anything?"

"We're thinking of going to the haunted house and then pigging out on candy at our house with Pence. You're welcome to come, that is if you have time to spend with us low-lives now that you've gotten yourself a boyfriend." Hayner teased.

Roxas stuck out his tongue then blushed lightly when he said, "I'll ask Axel."

Hayner laughed. "Sure, buddy. You've only been dating for, what? A week? And yet you're totally stuck to this guy's side."

Roxas smiled. "Hayner, that's called a relationship. Beside, I enjoy Axel's company."

"Oh, so are you saying you don't enjoy my company? And here I thought we were best friends." Hayner said dramatically.

Before Roxas could retort, a passerby snickered. "Having a lover's spat, fags?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Shut up, this conversation does not include you." Roxas growled.

The guy stopped, along with his two friends, blocking Hayner and Roxas's path.

"Aw, what's the matter, fag? Did I upset you? Want a tissue, girly-boy?" The guy laughed, his friends joining in.

"Assholes, shut the fuck up. Don't make fun of Roxas - he's more of a man than any of you will be! Love is love, douche, no matter the gender." Hayner snapped, hands clenching into fists.

"That's cute, you need your boyfriend to fight your battles?" The guy sneered to Roxas. To Hayner, he said: "And don't think we all don't know about you. Everyone knows you love taking it from the team in the locker room after practice. How you beg for it like the slutty manwhore you are. Admit it, cocksucker, you're like a bitch in heat, begging to be fucked into the floor."

"Fuck you!" Hayner yelled, going to step toward them as they laughed again but was prevented from doing so by Roxas's tugging on his arm.

"Ignore them, Hay, it doesn't matter. They're the bigots, don't give them the satisfaction of a physical response." Roxas pleaded.

"Fuck, Rox, I can't just let them get away with saying that!" Hayner growled, jerking out of Roxas's grip.

"Look at that - a pair of fairies fighting over a couple of real men! Don't worry, hunnies, my cock is big enough to satisfy you both and you'd love that, wouldn't you, faggots?" The guy yelled, his friends laughing.

"That's it! Douchebag, I'm gonna knock you into next week!" Hayner raised his fist and stepped forward, intent on landing a solid punch to this guy's jaw. He blinked, however, when a fist came out of nowhere and beat him to it, knocking the guy backwards into his friends, who just barely managed to catch him.

"S-Seifer?" Hayner yelled, thoroughly confused.

"What the hell? You some kind of fag-supporter?" One of the the guy's friends yelled.

Seifer pushed towards the new speaker, brandishing his fists, "You want the same? Scram, losers!"

The three shared a look and bolted, the one who had gotten hit complaining loudly all the way that his jaw hurt and they would pay for it.  
"What the hell? Why did you do that?" Hayner demanded.

"Because I don't tolerate assholes like them." Seifer shrugged, not feeling that this was a big deal and still a little pissed.

"So you're Seifer? Thanks." Roxas said. "I was afraid Hayner was gonna really go at them."

"I was! Dammit, how can they just say shit like that?" Hayner said before whirling to face Seifer. "And you! No offense, but after everything, you're about the last person I expected to come to my defense, let alone over the issue of being gay."

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Are you actually, honestly, complaining that I punched someone in your defense? Ignoring the fact that it was more in _his_," he gestured towards Roxas, "defense?"

Hayner scowled. "Yes. No. Argh! Dammit, I'm so pissed right now!"

Roxas smirked at his friend but otherwise ignored him. "I'm Roxas, by the way. And maybe you didn't hear them, but they were taunting Hayner, too, saying he likes to 'take it from the team', as it were. Assholes."

"No, I heard them." Seifer said, looking just as pissed, "But I started coming over here after they started taunting you." he shrugged, "I'm Seifer. But I guess you knew that."

"Yeah, well thanks to this idiot," Roxas jerked a finger at Hayner, "I know who you are. I feel like I have to say for the record, I never thought you were some kind of stalker. But I wouldn't mind if you stalked me, you're hot." Roxas looked Seifer up and down before smiling brilliantly. "Thanks for coming to our defense."

Hayner gaped at his friend. "Dude, you're already taken remember? What the hell will your boyfriend think?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I'm in a relationship, not blind."

Hayner snorted. "Sure. And don't go assuming every hot guy is gay."

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "He was almost assuming right, so it doesn't really matter." he shrugged, "And did I just hear you call me hot?" he asked Hayner, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Wait, how was he almost right? You're either right or wrong, how is there an inbetween? And no! I was just saying... uh... that he thinks you're hot. Yeah, he flirts all the time with hot guys. Not that you're hot! I mean, you're nice looking, but...! Argh!" Hayner blushed and snapped his mouth shut just as Roxas burst out laughing.

"Oh, man, Hay! You've got it bad." Roxas teased between fits of laughter.

Seifer burst into laughter as well. Once he was recovered enough to speak, he did so, "I need to get to class, but I'll see you two around."

Roxas wiped his eyes, grinning. "Sure. You definitely have to hang out with us, I've never seen Hayner this flustered and it's hilarious!"

"Rox!" Hayner protested, glaring at his best friend.

Seifer laughed, "I'll be sure of it. Later." he walked off.

"Oh, shut up Hayner. You wanted to be friends with him, right?" Roxas asked.

Hayner frowned. "Yeah, but not if he's going to flirt with me."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You're the one who started it."

"I know, shut up!" Hayner snapped.

Roxas chuckled. "Fine, fine."

"Wait, he didn't answer my question, dammit! How can you almost be right about him being gay?" Hayner asked, looking confused.

"Again, I question how you got into college. Did Olette write your entrance essay or something?" Roxas asked.

"What? No!" Hayner yelled.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "He meant he's bi. You know, swings both ways?"

Hayner blushed lightly. "O-oh."

Roxas snickered. "C'mon. Let's get you to class before your brain explodes."

XXXX

Axel plopped onto his bed and fished his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. "Roxas should be out of class by now," he mused, before dialing his boyfriend's number and leaning back to wait.

"_What are you wearing?"_ Roxas asked, not even bothering with a 'hello'.

Axel raised an eyebrow but answered the question anyway, "Jeans and a red shirt. Yourself?"

Roxas laughed. _"Sorry, I needed to make Hayner leave, and that was the most hilarious way I could think of. Jeans and my green oversized hoodie. What's up?"_

Axel chuckled, "Ahh, I see. I wanted to see what you were up to, if you wanted to meet up later, or anything."

"_Sure! Maybe you could come over my house? I was planning on making Zexion that pie tonight. Oh, that reminds me - I've got a question for you."_

"Sure, that sounds good." Axel smiled, "And hmmm?"

"_What are your plans for Halloween? Do you usually do something with your friends, or would you be willing to go to the haunted house with me, Hayner, Olette, and Pence? You could finally meet them!"_

"Hanging with your friends sounds good." Axel said, "Larx and I usually scare the kids that come to our house." he shrugged, "But there's all night for that, and we've been doing it since we were 14."

"_Great! We can go back to your house afterwards and you can still do that. Another question - are we dressing up?"_

"Actually, I had an idea about that." Axel smirked, "What do you say I dress up as a magician and you as the rabbit I pull out of my hat?"

"_You want me to wear a bunny costume?"_ Roxas asked, making sure he had heard right. _"Like, a real rabbit or more playboy bunny?"_

"Well, sweetheart, that would be up to you." Axel chuckled.

"_I'll surprise you."_

Axel chuckled again, "Alright, sounds good. Can't wait."

"_Just don't be disappointed, because either way I'm going to look ridiculous." _Roxas laughed.

"You could never look ridiculous, Roxy." Axel grinned.

"_Roxy, huh? Makes me sound like a girl. Or a porn star."_

"I'd sure hope that if you were the latter I'd have heard about it by now." Axel teased.

"_You'll be the first to know if I suddenly want to become a porn star. And I sure hope you have realized by now what has become my biggest secret - I am, in fact, not a girl, despite the love of baking."_

"I don't know," Axel said, taking on a flirty tone, "You might have to prove the second one."

Roxas laughed. _"Thank god no one else can hear your side of this conversation, although I have gotten some weird looks for saying 'porn'. Oops, said it again. Maybe for your birthday I'll give you absolute proof. For now, you'll just have to trust me. By the way, when is your birthday?"_

Axel laughed, "Maybe I'll make you figure it out."

"_How can I do that? Isn't that just one of those facts you're supposed to know and share with your significant other? That and all the other couple-y things, like how you drink your coffee. Um, Ax? How do you drink your coffee?"_

Axel laughed, "Black, mostly. And my birthday's March 3rd, so I have a long time to wait, it seems."

"_Cream and three sugars. In case you're ever on a game show and the final question is how I take my coffee. Now you'll win!"_

"Good to know. What time should I meet you at your house?" he continued to laugh.

"_Is four too early? I have no problem admitting I want to spend as much time as possible with you."_ Roxas said, grin evident in his voice.

Axel smirked, "Four's perfect. See you then."

"_Can't wait!" _Roxas hung up, goofy smile on his face. Standing from the bench he had sat down on, he headed to the library to get some work done before Sora'd pick him up and he'd get to hang out with Axel.

XXXX

"Can you grab me a drink, too, while you're up?" Cloud called after Leon. He was currently sitting on the couch in the brunette's apartment watching some made-for-tv action movie and spending more time making fun of it instead of actually watching it.

"Of course." Leon smiled, heading into the kitchen.

Cloud snorted. "You're missing it - they just flipped the car over and magically disarmed the bomb underneath it."

Leon walked back out holding two drinks, "Magically? Wasn't this supposed to be a realistic action movie?"

Cloud took one of the drinks, taking a sip and placing in on the nearby table before answering. "Apparently, they redefined 'realistic' for this movie. And thanks."

Leon chuckled, sitting down next to him.

"I mean, they aren't even trying!" Cloud exclaimed just before his cell phone started ringing in his pocket. Pulling it out, he recognized the number and picked up. "Hey."

Leon glanced over, but stayed quiet to let Cloud speak.

"Really? Yeah. Well, that's nice but- C'mon, it's not like that, I- Fine, fine. Let me ask." Cloud rolled his eyes, pulling the phone away from his ear and covering the mouthpiece with his hand. "What're your plans for Halloween?"

Leon shrugged, "I don't have any. Why?"

"Would you be willing to go with me to Zack's to watch cheesy Halloween movies and help him and Aerith dole out the candy?" The blonde asked.

"Sure, sounds good." Leon nodded.

Cloud smiled, putting his phone back to his ear. "He said yes. Yeah. Yeah. We'll be there - you guys need anything? Okay, can do. What time? All right. Bye, Zack." He turned to Leon, "Thanks. We don't have to stay long - we can leave whenever you want."

Leon chuckled, "It's fine. It sounds like fun."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You've never seen Zack on a sugar high before. Aerith's probably the one who made him invite us over just so she has some help keeping him contained."

Leon chuckled, "Well, I still think it'll be fun."

Cloud smiled softly. "Thank you."

Leon smiled back, "No problem."

"Oh, and Zack asked if we could buy some pumpkins and bring them with us. Have you ever carved a pumpkin?" Cloud asked.

"When I was a kid, yeah." Leon nodded, "But not in years."

"Well, that's still more experience than me. Zack insists this will be fun." Cloud said.

"You've never carved a pumpkin?" Leon asked.

Cloud shook his head. "No. I mean, I've seen them, but I've never actually carved one myself. Most of the places I lived at didn't want us kids getting in trouble with them or couldn't afford to get them and by the time I was on my own, I wasn't going to waste money on buying a pumpkin just to cut it up and stick a candle in it."

"Ahhh..." Leon said, "Well, at least you'll get to carve one now." he smiled.

Cloud offered a small smile. "Yeah. Is it as hard and messy as it looks?"

Leon raised an eyebrow at his wording.

Cloud's smile grew. "What?" He asked innocently.

Leon shook his head, putting his arm around Cloud and ignoring the question.

Cloud sighed, leaning in to Leon before asking, "Hey, did you go all out for Halloween as a kid? Costume, trick-or-treating?"

Leon glanced at Cloud, "Yeah, until I was nine I did." he said.

Cloud reached up to run his fingers through Leon's hair. "I bet you were a cute kid, especially running around with a cape or dressed as a zombie or whatever it is you dressed as."

Leon rolled his eyes, "I'm sure my aunt still has the pictures if you want to see them that badly."

Cloud grinned. "I would love to see them! Can I ask you something? It's kind of personal, and we haven't really been dating for very long."

Leon shrugged, "Go for it."

"You said your aunt has the pictures - what about your parents?" The blonde asked hesitantly.

"They died when I was fifteen." Leon said. "I stayed with my aunt after that."

"I'm sorry." Cloud murmured, looking down and regretting that he asked.

Leon shook his head, lifting Cloud's head so he could look at him, "Don't be. It was years ago, it's fine."

Cloud placed his hand over Leon's cupping his face. "They must have been wonderful people."

Leon smiled at him, "I guess. I mean, I miss them, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to wallow in it, especially not ten years later."

Cloud returned his smile, nodding.

"So," Leon said, an amused tone in his voice, "Is blonde your natural hair color?"

Cloud smirked. "Are you really a brunette?"

XXXX

Demyx opened the door to Zexion and his roommate's house, letting Zexion in before walking in after him. "So, I think you completely confused Yuffie in class today."  
Zexion frowned. "She should have said something then... I try not to go too fast but it's hard to remember being at that learning level."

"Yuffie's too much of a hardass to actually admit that she doesn't understand something." Demyx shrugged, "Especially when you're the teacher." he sent Zexion a smile.

"...She hates me." Zexion said, dropping his bag near the kitchen table and opening the refrigerator to grab a drink.

"Only a little." Demyx frowned. "Besides, it's mostly my fault she hates you anyway." he put his bag down as well and leaned on the counter, "She was pretty much the only person I really hung out with before you showed up, and now she can't tear me away from you."

Zexion closed the refrigerator door, turning to face Demyx with a light blush dusting his cheeks, nervously twisting a bottle of water in his hands. "I'm sorry. Of course you can hang out with your friends! I'm sure you have other friends - you're amazing, so you've got to be popular, right?"

Demyx blinked, surprised, "Yeah, not really. Just Yuffie." he said, "Besides, I'm not hanging out with you because I _have_ to, I'm hanging out with you because I _want_ to." he said, smiling at Zexion.

Zexion's blush deepened and it was his turn to blink in surprise. "They don't know what they're missing, by not being your friend. You're amazing. I, um, I'll be right back!" Zexion fled the kitchen, quickly walking into his room and closing the door behind him, leaning against the wood. His stomach hurt. Again.

Demyx stared after him before muttering to himself, "Alright, gotta lighten up on the flirting, apparently."

Zexion took a deep breath. He can't just leave Demyx alone out there! He's supposed to be tutoring him! _Okay, you can do this. So, every time he talks, your stomach flips. That's okay. And he's cute. So what? Really, really cute. According to Axel, that's even better. This is normal._

"I hate normal." Zexion muttered before opening the door and walking back into the kitchen, sitting down and putting his face in his hands, mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm not good with people. Socially awkward is the proper term, I think."

Demyx shrugged, "I don't think you are at all. I think you're underestimating yourself." he said, smiling a little, before changing the subject, "So, what are you doing for Halloween?"

Zexion looked up, relieved to not find Demyx laughing or sneering at him. _He doesn't even think I'm awkward?_ Blushing lightly, he said, "Nothing."

"You aren't doing anything?" Demyx asked, surprised, "Not even dressing up or watching scary movies or handing out candy?" he paused, "You should dress up."

Zexion shrugged. "I don't understand the point. It's a holiday for little kids - I don't enjoy those types of movies, I rarely gorge myself on candy and don't see the need to give it out to random strangers, and why should I pretend to be something I'm not by dressing up?"

Demyx frowned, "Well, there isn't really a point." he said, "It's just something fun to do. You're never too old for Halloween, anyway. Come on, you should dress up with me." he grinned.

Zexion hesitated, his stomach flipping again at the plea on the blonde's face. "I'd look ridiculous."

"I don't think you will." Demyx said, completely sincerely.

"You're really going to dress up? As what?" Zexion asked, avoiding that statement entirely.

"I dunno yet." Demyx said, "I'm thinking something zombie-related. OOH. Zombie rockstar." he grinned.

Zexion found himself smiling back. "You'll look great."

"Thanks." Demyx continued to grin, "But seriously, pleeeeease dress up?" he pouted.

Zexion blushed, his gaze dropping to the table. "As what?"

Demyx thought for a moment. "Hmm... Oh! How about a mad scientist?"

Confused, Zexion risked glancing up at him. "Mad as in crazy or mad as in angry?"

"Mad as in crazy." Demyx said.

"How do you dress as a crazy scientist? I don't know if I can do that..." Zexion said worriedly.

"I'll help." Demyx grinned, "Come on, please?"

Zexion looked up into the blonde's blue eyes and opened his mouth to protest, but the look caused him to blush and he gave in. "Okay. But you have to promise I won't look like a fool!"

"I promise!" Demyx said with a huge grin.

Zexion smiled back before saying, "My roommates are never going to believe this."

XXXX

Sooo much happening! Are you getting excited for Halloween? 'Cause I know I am!

Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! Let us know what you thought of this latest chapter! :D

*waves frantically* Bye!


	18. Roxas Calls In A Favor

"What do you mean, you went on a date?"

Kairi glared at Sora from her spot on her best friend's couch and rolled her eyes, "Exactly what it sounds like. It's four words, Sora, they aren't that difficult to understand."

"You just don't date much." Sora shrugged, "It's a little surprising. With who?"

"Xigbar, from the garage." Kairi shrugged, with a small smile.

"Roxas's boyfriend's roommate's coworker?" Sora asked.

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

"Ah." Sora said, "Well, I'm happy for you, I guess."

"What's with the apprehension?" Kairi asked him.

"Just not used to you dating. You haven't in years." Sora shrugged, "And you know, after last time..."

Kairi threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face with it, "It's been three years, I think I can handle a couple of casual dates."

"Alright." Sora said, "But make sure he knows that I will kick his ass if he tries anything. And I'll get Riku and Roxas to kick his ass AFTER I'm done with him."

Kairi smiled, "I know you will. Thanks."

Sora smiled back at her.

"SORA! DON'T LET HER LEAVE! KAIRIIIIII!" Roxas yelled on the top of his lungs, rushing down the stairs, taking them two at a time and almost breaking his neck before running and skidding into the living room.

"Oh, good..." He panted. "You haven't left yet."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, "What's up, Rox?"

"You owe me, right? I know what I want." Roxas managed to catch his breath and stand up straighter.

"Okay..." Kairi said, "Go on."

"Ah..." Roxas glanced at his brother, blushing lightly. "Maybe you should just come up to my room really quickly..."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, but nodded, standing up, "Be right back."

"Yep." Sora said, "You know, whatever it is, it's not like I'm gonna flip out or anything."

Kairi just threw the other pillow at him and followed Roxas up the stairs.

Roxas led her into his room, closing the door behind them and moving over to his closet door. "You owe me. Just keep that in mind, okay? For Halloween, Axel wants to dress as a magician and he suggested I could dress as his rabbit. So, um... I bought this..." Roxas opened the closet door, revealing an almost playboy-esque bunny outfit hanging alongside a more traditional rabbit outfit.

Face as red as Axel's hair at this point, Roxas said: "I need help dressing up like a... like a slutty bunny. And then I want to hide it under the normal costume so only Axel, and well, you, see the slutty version."

Kairi started to grin, "Oh, I am definitely helping you with this." she said, smirking.

Roxas let out a breath in relief. "Really? Thanks, Kairi!"

Kairi grinned, "No problem. Even if I didn't owe you a favor, I'd still be helping you with this. Fuck, if there's a chance of getting you into a slutty bunny costume?" she laughed, giving Roxas a smile.

Roxas's blush died down a little, but was still obviously there. "Right, so Axel's picking me up on Sunday around 10pm to go to the haunted house with my friends, and then we're going back to his house. How long do you think it'll take to get me ready? I really wanna short-circuit his brain with this costume."

Kairi thought for a minute, "Mind if I take the costumes with me?" she asked, "I'll work on them at home, and then I'll come over here around 8 or 9 to get you ready."

"Okay. Yeah, that's fine. Um, the plastic bag there? I got that stuff, too." Roxas's blush deepened again.

Kairi peeked in the plastic bag and snickered, "Alright. When Xigbar gets here to pick me up, distract Sora and we'll stuff all this stuff in his car. He won't even comment, I promise."

"Okay. Distract him how? Never mind, I'll think of something. Thank you so much, Kairi!" Roxas gave her a hug.

Kairi chuckled, hugging him back, "No problem. I'd better get downstairs before Sora thinks we're plotting his murder or something." she said, as she headed towards the door.

"Right. I'd better come down, too, for when Xigbar gets here. Who is Xigbar, by the way?" Roxas asked, taking the costumes out of his closet and stuffing them into another bag, handing both to Kairi and closing his closet door.

Kairi put them down by the door so that Sora couldn't get a peek and turned to Roxas, "I don't know how to classify him yet. But he's Cloud's coworker at the garage."

"Oh. Right. I probably should have known that. You guys attempting to date, then?" Roxas asked, opening his bedroom door and motioning Kairi out.

Kairi shrugged, walking out, "I guess you could call it that." she said, "I like him, at least, and he at least likes your cooking enough to hang around me." she laughed.

Roxas grinned. "He could get my food anytime from Cloud, now that I'm with Axel, so I don't think he's just hanging with you for that." They made their way back down the stairs and into the living room where Sora was watching TV.

Kairi shrugged, plopping back down into her chair and glancing at the TV. "Really, Sora?"

Sora frowned, "What?"

Kairi just rolled her eyes.

Roxas sat down in the other chair, leg bouncing a little. "You've been hanging out with Riku way too much."

Sora just frowned, tossing a pillow back at Kairi, who caught it instead of letting it smack her in the face.

"Speaking of, where is your other best friend?" Roxas asked.

"Riku's my boyfriend." Sora reminded him without taking his eyes off the screen, "And I don't know, actually."

Kairi glanced at Sora, a little surprised to hear him admit it so bluntly and without any babbling.

"Wow, Sora. I guess I should give you more credit - I wasn't expecting you to so casually admit that." Roxas said, only slightly teasing.

Sora glanced at him this time, and shrugged.

Roxas tilted his head, studying his brother. Suddenly, he broke out into a huge grin. "You're falling for him!"

"We aren't talking about this." Sora said, as the doorbell rang. Kairi laughed at Sora before hopping up to open it.

"Because you hadn't realized it for yourself yet or because it scares the hell out of you? Either way, some brotherly advice: love wouldn't be half as fun if it didn't scare the crap out of you occasionally. Right, Kairi?" Roxas said as Kairi led who he assumed to be Xigbar into the living room.

Sora smacked his brother with the other pillow, hopping up as Kairi laughed at him.

"Hi, I'm Xigbar. Which one of you is Roxas?" Xigbar asked.

"Umm... That's me." Roxas said, standing as well.

"You, sir, are a genius. Cloud's roommate is one lucky bastard." Xigbar grinned.

"Thanks." Roxas smirked. "I like him, Kairi. He has good taste, if he likes us both."

Kairi rolled her eyes, refusing to flirt with Xigbar when Sora was in the room. "Well, since you know Roxas now, Xigbar, this is my best friend Sora, Sora, this is Xigbar."

Xigbar put his arm around Kairi. "Nice to meet ya."

Sora chuckled, "Don't worry, I knew her when she was in diapers, I pose no threat to your relationship unless you do something stupid." Giving Xigbar a look, he added, "But if you do something stupid, you probably won't live long enough to regret it." he said completely seriously.

Kairi grabbed one of the pillows off the couch and chucked it at him, "How is it that you manage to do the 'overprotective brother' thing for me, but me or your boyfriend has to do it for your _actual_ brother?"

"Yeah! What, you don't care if Axel murders me?" Roxas asked.

Xigbar chuckled. "He won't if he wants to keep eating like a king every night. Damn, lucky bastard."

Roxas glared at him. "What do I look like, a housewife or some kind of magical food maker?"

"Whoa, calm down!" Xigbar said, palms raised in surrender. "Please don't cut me off from the goodness that is your cooking."

Kairi chuckled, dragging Xigbar towards the stairs, "Excuse us for a moment." she said, giving Roxas a look to remind him why she'd bothered bringing Xigbar inside in the first place and leaving the living room, dragging Xigbar behind her.

Sora blinked.

"Sora! I need your opinion." Roxas said, turning to block him with his body.

"On?" Sora asked, "What's with the mood swing? Are you sick or something?"

Roxas snorted. "You've been my brother for how long and your not used to the mood swings yet? Anyway, I need to know... what should I get Axel for Christmas?"

"Christmas is months away." Sora said, "_What_ is going on?"

"Fine, you caught me. Have you kissed Riku yet? Or are you still reeling from the whole I'm-in-love-with-him revelation?" Roxas asked.

Sora grabbed a pillow off the couch, smacking him with it, "I said we weren't talking about that right now." he grumbled, walking towards the kitchen.

"Wait! C'mon, have you ever kissed a guy? No, right? You don't want to freak when you eventually get the courage to let him kiss you, right? I hereby offer my services as your method of practice. It's better than a pillow, at least." Roxas said desperately, holding Sora's wrist tightly to keep him from leaving the room.

Sora stared at his brother for a minute, "KAIRI, I THINK ROXAS IS MENTAL OR SOMETHING!" He shouted up the stairs.

Kairi's head appeared at the top of the stairs and she threw a beer can down to Sora, "Well, that's not new, Sora. Get yourself drunk, it'll all go away." She vanished again.

Sora stared at where she had been a minute ago, and then glanced back at Roxas. "You know what, I'm just going to go for a walk, I think. Maybe Namine can make everything make sense again."

"Yes! That's great. Good idea. I'll just, um, walk you out. Yeah. KAIRI, WE'LL BE BACK IN A FEW, DON'T LOCK US OUT! Great, let's go!" Roxas practically dragged Sora to the front door.

Sora just let Roxas drag him, incredibly confused and wondering if he'd fallen asleep while Kairi and Roxas were upstairs and was dreaming all of this.

"Kairi? Mind telling me what's going on? It doesn't sound good down there." Xigbar said from outside of Roxas's bedroom, which apparently he wasn't allowed to enter.

"Roxas is an absolutely horrible liar and I should've sent _him_ up here with you to take care of this and distracted Sora myself." Kairi answered, opening the door and handing Xigbar a bag, "We need to sneak this stuff out of the house and eventually get it back to mine. Roxas needs help with a costume." she didn't elaborate, grabbing a bag of her own and glancing around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"All right then. What costume?" He asked, attempting to peek into his bag.

Kairi smacked his hand away, "Not allowed to tell you. This is the favor Roxas asked for in exchange for your blueberry pie, so don't complain." she smiled, "And thank you for helping me smuggle this out."

"Mhmm, pie... It was so good... Okay, you have my word I won't look. But that reminds me, what're you dressing up as, Red?" Xigbar asked with a smirk. "Wonder woman maybe?"

Kairi gave Xigbar a look, but spoke, "I have no idea. I don't have Halloween plans, so I'm probably dressing up as lazy-Kairi-in-her-PJs-on-the-couch-watching-movies-with-her-sister. Sora's got plans with Riku, so neither of us has something to do. Unless Nam made plans and didn't tell me."

"You should come hang out at my place, then, and we can watch movies and terrorize children. Well, I'll be watching the gorgeous view you provide, especially if I get to see you in your pjs. Sleepwear is so hot." Xigbar smirked.

Kairi gave him a look, "Well, I don't actually own any attractive 'sleepwear', so you'll have to settle for what I do own." she rolled her eyes, "But sure, I'd love to come over. Come on, let's get this stuff out of here before Roxas runs out of ways to distract Sora."

Xigbar chuckled. "You got it, Sass. Should I start humming the Mission Impossible theme song and roll down the stairs?"

"I absolutely dare you to do that." Kairi said, grinning, "I'll cook for you if you do that. It won't be as good as Roxas's, but it's food and it's free." she smirked.

Xigbar nodded once. "Right. You're evil and sarcastic. And gorgeous. Damn, Red, when'll you marry me again?" He started down the stairs without a reply, shaking his head.

Kairi rolled her eyes and hurried after him, stopping once she'd caught up, "I'll still cook for you." she said with a smile, before skipping ahead to get the bags in Xigbar's car.

"You're a goddess." Xigbar groaned, trailing after her, smirking at the blonde - Roxas - as he questioned Kairi.

"Are you sure you got everything? Sora went to your house. Thank god Namine is home. I managed to covertly ask her to stall him there by any means necessary. You might want to call her." Roxas gushed.

Kairi chuckled, "We got everything, don't worry." she smiled, "I'll thank Namine later. Ready?" she glanced at Xigbar.

"Sure, Red. Let's go. Nice to meet ya in the flesh, Roxas." Xigbar smiled and climbed into his car.

"Thank you thank you thank you! I really really hope we can pull this off." Roxas said, hugging Kairi again. He was full of nervous energy now that it was out of his hands. He was really doing this. Oh god.

Kairi laughed, putting her hands on Roxas's shoulders, "Calm down, kid. It'll be fine." she said, "I'll see you on Halloween, if not earlier." she said, smiling at him before climbing into Xigbar's car as well.

"Right. You'll do great. It'll be fine. I think I need to bake something now. Send Sora home whenever, okay?" Roxas waved and dashed into his house.

"Is he always that hyper?" Xigbar asked.

"He's practically a girl." Kairi laughed, "He goes through mood swings more than me or my sister. So, no, but when he's hyper, he doesn't do it halfway." she smiled, "Thanks again for helping out."

"Huh. Maybe his boyfriend doesn't have it made, then. And no problem, sweet cheeks, I love helping cute damsels in distress such as yourself." Xigbar winked, starting the car.

Kairi rolled her eyes, smiling at him again.

"Uh, Red? Where we going?" He asked, pulling away from the curb.

"I was going to suggest my house, but Sora's there right now, so..." she frowned, "I have no idea."

Xigbar chuckled. "Let's go kick him out, then. And maybe you can convince him he's not crazy, 'cause from the yelling, I've decided I don't want to be in any position to have to be 'distracted' by Roxas."

Kairi laughed, "Sure. And then I can make you dinner, since I sort of promised." she smiled, "Plus, Namine will want to meet you."

"Sounds good, Sassy. Point the way." Xigbar grinned.

XXXX

Namine heard the door open and walked over to see Kairi leading someone else inside. Ignoring the stranger for the moment, she said: "Kairi, why was Sora just over here convinced that either he's dreaming or you and Roxas are conspiring against him?"

"Because Roxas is _horrible_ at distractions." Kairi shrugged.

"Why did you leave him to distract Sora?" Namine asked.  
"Want me to get those bags?" Xigbar asked Kairi.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Namine." Namine smiled.

"Xigbar. I'll be right back, Sass." Xigbar headed back to the car to grab the bags.

Kairi turned to smile at Xigbar before turning back to her sister, "Because Roxas called in a favor, so I had to sneak something out of his house and into Xigbar's car without Sora noticing." she shrugged, "It's not a big deal, and I'm sure you'll notice me working on it over the next couple of days."

"Do you want help? And who is the guy? Is he the same Xigbar working on our car?" Namine asked.

"It's only two bags, I'm sure he's fine." Kairi said, glancing at the door, "XIG, DO YOU NEED ANY HELP?"

"Cool your britches! I'm right behind you, no need to break my eardrums with that lovely voice of yours, Red." Xigbar said, holding the two bags.

Kairi grinned at him, "Sorry about that." she smiled, "Thanks for grabbing the bags."

"No problem. You gonna introduce me to your sister or show me where to put these? Either way, let's get outta the doorway, Sass." Xigbar said with a grin.

"Well, you kind of already did the introductions thing." Kairi reminded him, but stepped out of the doorway and into the house anyway, "You can just put the bags down wherever," she smiled.

"Namine, wasn't it? Where should I put Roxas's mystery bags, since your sister is currently no help to me?" Xigbar asked with a dramatic sigh.

Namine fought the urge to giggle. "Straight through there is the kitchen - on the table will be fine, thank you."

Xigbar nodded, heading in that direction. "Don't miss me too much when I'm gone, okay, Sassy?"

As soon as he was gone, Namine grinned and whispered, "Are you two dating?"

Kairi smiled, "Sort of?" she asked, "It's not official or anything, but we went on _a_ date, so..."

Namine nodded as Xigbar wandered back in.

"Admit it, you were lost without me." He demanded, slinging his arm around Kairi and grinning at her.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "You and that inflated ego of yours." she said, poking him in the chest, "I'll go get started on dinner. Try not to make Namine's head explode." she said, shrugging out of Xigbar's arm and heading for the kitchen to start cooking.

"Well, let's sit in the living room, shall we?" Namine gestured and Xigbar followed her, both sitting down.

"Are you dating my sister?" Namine asked seriously.

"I like you, cut straight to the point. Yeah, I like to think I am. I plan on taking her out on many, many dates. Actually, you should probably know I'm going to marry her." Xigbar said, for once completely serious.

Namine blinked, not having expected that for an answer. "You are, are you? Have you talked to her about that? How well do you even know each other?"

"That's why I said that part about lots of dates. Relax, I'm not going to hurt your sister. She's amazing. I could fall for her." Xigbar said.

Namine studied him hard for a moment before smiling. "All right. But hurt her and you'll have a lot of people after you."

"Don't I know it." Xigbar muttered.

Namine laughed. "So, how old are you? What do you do?"

"I'm 24 and I'm a mechanic at the Rusty Wrench. Me and Cloud just fixed your car." Xigbar said with a smirk.

"Thank you. For fixing the car and for answering the questions. I'm going to go upstairs now because I have a paper due tomorrow that I need to work on, and you're going to help my sister cook." Namine said, standing.

"I am, huh?" Xigbar asked, smiling and standing as well.

"Yes, you are. Because she won't be expecting it and because it'll make her happy. I'm helping you. Now, go." Namine smiled and left, quietly heading up the stairs.

Xigbar shook his head. "Could they be more different?" He muttered before sauntering into the kitchen.

Kairi glanced over as he walked in, and smiled, "Hello. I thought you were talking to Namine."

"So did I, but she has a paper due tomorrow or something. I'd rather be spending my time with you, anyways, Red." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi chuckled, "Alright, then." she said, turning back to her cooking, "Did Namine interrogate you?"

"Mhmm, she was scarier than Sora!" Xigbar shuddered. "Whatcha cooking?" He moved behind Kairi to watch her work over her shoulder.

"Pasta, so I hope you like Italian food." Kairi said, glancing up to study his face.

Xigbar grinned and took a chance, leaning down a little to kiss her on the cheek. "I love Italian. God, Red, you're killing me here."

Kairi grinned at him, turning back to stir the contents of the pot in front of her.

"All right, what can I do to help?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, "You wanna help?"

"Well as much as I'd love to just stand here basking in the glory that is your beauty, I figure the least I can do is offer my humble services as your kitchen-slave." Xigbar said, resisting the urge to smile.

Kairi giggled, "If you could grab the bag of rolls from the freezer and turn the oven on to what the directions say, that would be great."

"Yes, ma'am! I live to serve!" Xigbar opened the freezer, easily finding the rolls and reading the directions, preheating the oven. "What now, my mistress?"

Kairi rolled her eyes at him, "I'm just waiting for the pasta to be done, so there's actually nothing you can do right now. But keeping me company is help enough." she smiled at him.

"You got it, boss lady." Opening the roll package, he placed them on the tray on top of the oven before setting the timer and shoving them inside. Grinning, he stepped to where Kairi was standing and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "You smell good, Red."

Kairi leaned back into him, relaxing, "You smell quite nice yourself." she said with a smile.

"How about we just stay here for an eternity or two?" Xigbar mumbled, burying his face into her hair and inhaling. God, it was strawberries and vanilla and flowers and the ocean and everything else he'd ever loved and most of all, Kairi.

Kairi didn't say anything, and just relaxed quite contently in Xigbar's arms, leaning against him.

They stood that way until the oven went off and Xigbar reluctantly let go in order to pull the rolls out of the oven. "How much longer on the pasta, Sassy? I'm getting hungry!"

Kairi laughed, looking down at the pasta and stirring it, "About two minutes." she said. "Think you can survive until then?"

"I'll try. For you, my princess. Hmm, queen? Goddess? Goddess. I like that one. Which do you prefer, Red?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "You can call me whatever affectionate names you like, as long as you don't compare my cooking to Roxas's."

"Roxas is the god of desserts. You are the goddess of everything else, and that's way more important, don't you think? Where are the plates, Sass? I'll set the table. Should I yell up to your sister, too?" Xigbar asked.

"Second cabinet on the left." Kairi gestured, "And sure, if you want to. Depends on how engrossed in her paper she is, I think."

Going out into the hallway, Xigbar stood at the bottom of the stairs. "NAMINE! DINNER!"

A door opened and Namine's head appeared around the corner at the top of the stairs. "You two eat, I'm in the middle and would rather not stop." She disappeared, and her door closed behind her.

Xigbar went back to the kitchen, grabbing plates for two. "Your sister's in the middle, so she's not coming down." He took the plates and the now-cooled down rolls to the table, shoving Roxas's mystery bags out of the way.

Kairi poured the pasta out into a bowl, pouring some sauce that she'd reheated onto it and stirring it up.

"Just letting you know, Roxas made the sauce, so don't judge my cooking on that, since all I did was reheat it." Kairi said, grabbing a spoon to serve the pasta with and walking over to the table and putting the bowl of pasta down.

"I'll do that." Xigbar said, taking the serving spoon from her and scooping out the servings as well as offering her the plate of rolls before taking one for himself and sitting down.

Then he stood right back up. "What would you like to drink, Red?"

"There's soda and stuff in the fridge." Kairi said, "If you could grab me a root beer, that'd be great."

"Sure thing." Xigbar grabbed two cans, resuming his seat. "Okay, here's the test." He dramatically took a large bite and hummed in appreciation. "This is damn good."

Kairi smiled, "I'm glad you like it." She took a bite of her own.

"Of course I like it! You're actually a better cook than me, I'm not afraid to admit. Don't underestimate yourself, Red, because from where I'm sitting I can't find a single flaw." Xigbar smiled.

Kairi smiled a little, kind of embarrassed, "Thanks."

"Aw, are you blushing?" Xigbar teased.

Kairi rolled her eyes at him, throwing a roll at his face, "Of course not. So, how's my car?"

Xigbar easily caught the roll, used to Cloud throwing much heavier and potentially lethal things at his head. "I didn't tell you - it's done. After we finish, I can take you to pick it up, if you want."

"Sure, that sounds great." Kairi smiled, "Thanks again."

"No problem, I should be thanking you. If you didn't take such crap care of your car, I would've never met you. Did it hurt, by the way?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, "Did _what_ hurt?" she asked, amused.

Xigbar smirked. "When you fell from heaven."

Kairi just rolled her eyes at him, "Only a little. You were there to catch me."

Xigbar laughed. "Sassy, you are going to keep me on my toes, huh? I love a good challenge."

Kairi smirked at him, "Well, I hope you're up for it, then."

"Every day of the week and twice on Sundays." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi laughed.

XXXX

I can't explain to ya'll how much I love Xigbar. I just… _love_ him. (I don't write him anymore, so I'm allowed to say this.) Also, I'm only a little sorry for this entire chapter being over 4000 words of Kairi and Xigbar. But really, if you didn't already like them, I hope you do now. We give them a break next chapter, I think.

-doesn't actually know-

See you guys Saturday. Well, not really SEE, and I won't be doing the ANs, Jas will, but… you know what I mean.


	19. What's the Surprise, Reno?

Hi everyone, Jasmine here! Cami and I are leaving very early tomorrow morning for a week-long vacation, so lucky you gets to read Saturday's scheduled posting today! Don't worry, Wednesday's chapter should be posted on time, if all goes well.

The adorableness in this chapter is potentially lethal. I advise sitting while reading, and not reading while everyone else is asleep since you might wake them with your squeals of 'awwww'. :D

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Reno leaned back on the couch, flipping through television channels and mostly just being disappointed in what was on.

"Hey." Riku said, plopping down next to him. "I don't think I told you - I'm spending Sunday at Sora's. Sorry."

Reno glanced over, "Whaaaat? You're ditching me for your boyfriend. Some family loyalty you have." he grumbled.

Riku rolled his eyes. "He's better looking than you. Why don't you invite Namine over?"

Reno glared at his brother grumbling something about impossibilities, and spoke, "That's a good idea. Think she has plans?"

"Doubt it. If she does, I bet you ten bucks she changes them to hang with you, especially when you make yourself sound all pitiful by complaining your brother ditched you." Riku smirked.

"I'm not taking that bet, but only because I'd be hoping that you'd win it." Reno rolled his eyes.

Riku's smile faded and he studied his brother seriously. "What are you doing, Reno?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, "Watching TV?"

"With Namine. What are you doing? She's one of my best friends. Don't mess around with her." Riku said.

"I'm not messing around with anyone, Riku." Reno said, "She came by the bar and we went on a date." he shrugged, "I wouldn't _mess around_ with her."

"You went on a date? So you're actually serious about her? Oh. Well, still. Don't let either of yourselves get hurt - I'm attached to both of you." Riku grinned wryly.

Reno rolled his eyes, "You have a startling lack of faith in me."

"I just said don't let yourself get hurt, and you complain I don't have faith in you. I have faith in you! Otherwise, I'd be moving Namine into the Witness Protection Program to hide her from you. Chill out. You want my support, you have it as long as no one gets hurt. I'd be happy to get drunk with you one night and, you know, actually stay with you instead of barricading my bedroom door." Riku said, laughing.

Reno laughed, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

Riku grinned. "Great. Now call Namine and invite her over on Sunday while I go call Sora."

Reno rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright."

Riku slapped his shoulder and pulled out his cell phone, already talking as he made his way to his bedroom. "Sora? It's Riku..."

Reno leaned back on the couch again, fishing out his cell phone and dialing Namine's number.

"_Hello?"_

XXXX

"_Hey Namine, it's Reno."_

Namine smiled, glad she'd slipped out of class to answer her phone. "How are you?"

"_Not too horrible, I guess. Riku just informed me that he's ditching me on Halloween, leaving me with no one to hang out with."_

Namine laughed. "You poor thing. He's going to spend the day with Sora, then?"

"_Yep. Which leads to the reason I called. Whatcha doing on Halloween?"_

"Usually, I spend the day watching Halloween movies with my sister, but I don't think she's going to be here this year. Are you inviting me over?" The blonde asked, walking down the hall a little, pacing.

"_Yes, I am, if you're interested. If you're not, I'm not, because I'm not sure I could bear the rejection."_ Namine could practically _feel_ the grin on his face.

"I am half-way interested. What are we going to do? Do you have to work that night?" She asked.

"_I have the night off. Tifa has some kind of party for kids in the restaurant every year, and that means no bar."_ Reno explained. _"As for what we do, that's up in the air at the moment."_

"All right. I'll bring some movies. But you have to buy candy and popcorn. Since I'm not completely sure of Kairi's plans yet, would you mind picking me up?" Namine asked.

"_I don't mind in the slightest, as long as Riku doesn't steal my car again."_

"Great! What time should I expect you?" She asked.

"_That depends on what time you'd like to be picked up. I've got nothing to do all day."_

Namine laughed. "Well, that depends on how long you want to be stuck with me."

"_I could pick you up right now, if you'd like."_

"That's sweet of you to say, and I wish I could let you, but I still have classes left and you have work tonight. I'd like to spend the whole day with you Sunday, but I'm afraid we'll run out of things to do and get bored of each other." Namine said, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

"_Oh, I highly doubt that, but I'll take it as a challenge. Forget the movies, I'll pick you up in the morning. I've got a surprise for you."_

Her eyes opened in surprise. "Tomorrow morning? What are we going to do all weekend?"

"_That, my dear, is a surprise. Just be ready, because I will not be returning you until Sunday night." _

"Reno..." Namine said, indecisive.

Completely serious now, Reno spoke, _"I promise you'll have fun, Namine."_

"Okay. All right. What should I pack? Oh god, I've never done anything like this before, it's too short notice! Kairi is going to be surprised!" Namine said, a bubble of laughter escaping her.

Reno chuckled, _"Don't fret over packing. Just pack what you would if you were going away for a weekend with Kairi, or something."_

"Okay. Okay. I've got to go, I should really get back to class. I'll see you tomorrow morning!" Namine said excitedly.

Reno was smiling, even if Namine couldn't see it, _"Can't wait. Will you be ready by ten?"_

"Yes, definitely. I'll see you then!" Namine smiled.

"_Sounds great. Sorry to steal you from class."_

"It's fine. I hate my Friday classes, remember? I really really have to go now. Okay, I'm hanging up. See you tomorrow. Bye, Reno." Namine said.

Reno chuckled, _"Bye, Nam."_

XXXX

Seifer slammed the door of the apartment unnecessarily, as he actually had no reason to be going around slamming doors. He was mostly just curious to see his roommates' reactions.  
Xigbar walked into the living room. "What's his name and what did he do this time?"

"He doesn't have a name and absolutely nothing, I just felt like slamming the door. Where's Leon?" Seifer asked, plopping into a chair.

"He's at the Rusty Wrench since it's his day off but not Cloud's. And he does too have a name, or did you not find out who is stalking you?" Xigbar asked, sitting on the couch.

"Oh, Hayner? Yeah, he apologized." Seifer shrugged, "And then I punched someone, and I'm pretty sure he inadvertently complimented me. How's Kairi?"

"He complimented your punching skills? What? Seif, you need to stop hanging out on campus with all those kids. And she's good, great. Hot." Xigbar said.

Seifer chuckled, "Sure, that's what he complimented." he rolled his eyes, "I see your standards haven't changed."

"Hey, don't start with me, not when Leon's not here to distract you. And for your information, I really really like Kairi. I think, hell Seif, I think she could be the one." Xigbar said with a sigh.

"Your track record is making it hard to believe you." Seifer shrugged.

"That's fine - you'll see how serious I am when we're together for months and months. By the way, she's coming here tomorrow for Halloween." Xigbar said. He didn't care if Seifer believed him, as long as he wasn't like this when Kairi was actually present.

"You invited her over for Halloween?" Seifer asked, a little surprised.

"Yup." Xigbar shrugged. "You gonna be here or hanging out with your ex-stalker Hayner? What a weird name."

Seifer laughed, "I'm staying here, if you don't mind."

"Sure. We're just going to watch movies, anyway. I want you to meet her, besides. I can never keep track, are you single?"

"Currently, yes." Seifer said, rolling his eyes, "We should have a sign in here that's either green or red, depending on my relationship status or something, because you ask me that question way too often."

He was about to continue, possibly to explain exactly how this sign would work, but Xigbar's phone went off, so he decided not to try and talk over his roommate's ringtone.

Xigbar snorted. "Maybe you should." He muttered, before answering his phone. "Yeah, this is Xigbar. Talk to me."

"_Did the world explode or something, because Reno just picked up Namine to steal her for the entire weekend. My __sister__ just left with a boy for the whole weekend. She doesn't DO that. __What__ is going on?"_

"Whoa, calm down, Red. Maybe she has a hot date with the guy. They been dating a while or something?" Xigbar asked.

"_Not at all. I think they went on one date, __maybe__, and that was just last week. She only MET him when Riku started locking himself in his room, which wasn't that long ago." _Pausing to take a deep breath, she spoke in a much calmer voice, _"Sorry, I'm rambling. This just isn't like Namine, it's surprising."_

"Sass, calm down. She's a big girl, she can handle herself. I have no idea who Riku is or what him being locked in a bedroom has to do with all of this, but I'm sure everything is fine. Did you call me first or did you try calling her?" Xigbar asked, completely ignoring Seifer now.

"_I tried getting her to explain before she left, but she either had just as much of an idea of what was going on as me or she didn't care."_

"She cares. Remember? Scarier than Sora. For sure. Just calm down, okay? I'm sure she's fine and having a blast. You try calling the guy?" Xigbar said, running out of ways to calm Kairi down if the answers kept turning out to be no.

"_I don't have his number. I could probably get it from Sora-oh, Riku is Sora's boyfriend, by the way, and the guy Nami left with is Riku's older brother." _Kairi's thoughts were pretty much jumbled, and that's why nothing that was coming out of her mouth made sense.

"Let me make sure I got that - your sister is dating the older brother of your best friend's boyfriend?" Xigbar asked, ignoring Seifer's look. "Damn, Red, how confusing a life you got?"

There was a pause during which a sound that might have been Kairi slamming her head down onto something hard could be heard, before she mumbled, _"Sorry for throwing all this on you."_

"Hey, I love hearing your voice. You're cute even when you're panicking, babe. Besides, we're dating, right? Red, it's fine." Xigbar reassured her.

"_Thanks..."_ she mumbled, before she took another breath. _"Okay. I feel better. Thank you."_

"Anytime. Now we can move on to more pressing matters, like how are you so perfect and why are you spending the day alone?" Xigbar said, smirking.

Seifer snorted and took that as his cue to leave the room, shutting his bedroom door behind him.

"_I'm spending my day with a costume, actually, so I wouldn't consider myself alone, but you're welcome to come keep me company if you'd like."_

"Hmm... Won't that get you in trouble with the dessert god if I see what it is he had to sneak out of his own house? Don't wanna make even more stress for you, Sass." Xigbar said.

Kairi laughed, _"Nah, as long as you don't comment on it, he won't care, really. I was more afraid of you commenting on it and him hearing you in his house. As long as Sora never finds out, I think Roxas will be fine."_

"All right. I'll be there soon - don't do anything drastic without me!" Xigbar said.

"_I promise not to stab myself with my sewing needle."_

"What a relief! I'm leaving now, Red. See you in a few." Xigbar hung up his phone and went into his room to grab his keys. "Seif! I'm going to Kairi's!" He yelled.

"Yeah, whatever!" Seifer called back.

Shaking his head, he yelled, "You need to get laid!" before leaving and heading for his favorite redhead's house.

XXXX

Namine sighed contentedly, smiling at Reno. "This is the craziest thing I've ever done."

Reno glanced over at her before refocusing on the road, "Running away with a guy you met a couple weeks ago for a weekend?" he asked, "Kind of high on my list too, but I promise I'm not going to murder you or anything." He took his eyes off the road to grin at her before going back to driving.

Namine laughed. "I sure hope not. Still won't tell me where we're going?"

"Nope." Reno smiled at her, "Sorry. You'll find out soon."

"It actually doesn't matter. You could be just driving around in circles and it would still be the most adventurous thing I've ever done. But I am curious as to what you have planned. What are we going to do tonight? Hotel? Sleep in the car?" Namine said in a rush.

"We have a hotel room." Reno said, "Pulled in a favor from a friend." he smiled at her.

"We have a room? Now I have to ask, one bed or two?" Namine asked a little nervously.

Reno stopped at a red light and turned to smile at her, "There are two. Don't worry. I have no intentions of making you uncomfortable this weekend."

Namine smiled. "A completely no worry, fun weekend getaway, just the two of us. Is this as big a deal to you as it is to me? Because I'm excited and terrified. This is such a huge gesture, Reno!"

Reno smiled again, "Well, I've never done this for anyone else before, so I guess it's a pretty big deal." he smiled. "I want you to enjoy this weekend."

Namile shook her head, smiling. "We barely know each other! We went on one date. This is insane! Is it wrong of me to love it anyway?"

Reno laughed, "Of course not!"

Namine shifted in her seat. "Are we almost there?"

"Yep." Reno said, "Ten minutes or so."

"I'm a little nervous." Namine confessed with a grin.

"Don't be." Reno smiled, the car starting to move again as the light turned green, "I know you'll have fun."

"My sister thinks I'm crazy. I should probably call her later to assure her I'm okay. Did you tell Riku what you have planned?" Namine asked.

"Nope." Reno grinned, "He has no idea. Only person with a semblance of an idea of what's going on is Tifa, and that's because I was planning everything out at work last night."

"I completely forgot about your job! Oh, I hope you didn't in trouble for taking tonight off..." Namine said worriedly.

"Did you memorize my work schedule or something?" Reno asked, smirking at her.

Namine blushed lightly. "There's nothing to do in your apartment! There's never anything good on television and when I went looking for a magazine or book, I found your schedule and read it... I'm sorry."

Reno laughed, "Don't apologize. I think it's cute."

Namine put her hands on her cheeks, willing her blush to go away but Reno's comment was not helping.

Reno smiled at her, before turning off the highway they'd been on and onto what seemed almost like a long driveway. As they approached a large gate leading in to massive parking lots, he absentmindedly wondered if he could blindfold Namine with something to surprise her. Oh well, too late now.

Namine's eyes widened and she turned to Reno. "Reno...?"

Reno turned and smiled at her, "Yes?" he asked, trying to find a good parking spot.

"Reno. Are we really here? How did you plan this in one night - it takes weeks to get in! We're staying here?" Namine asked, still in shock.

"Like I said, I called in a favor." Reno grinned, pulling into a parking spot.

Namine grinned and hastily unbuckled, launching herself at Reno, hugging him. "Thank you thank you thank you! I haven't been to Disneyplace since I was little! This is so amazing, you're the best!" She kissed his cheek, pulling back to show him her grin.

Reno laughed, hugging her and readjusting her position so she wasn't awkwardly leaning on the center console of his car, "You're very welcome. I'm glad you're happy."

"This is amazing." She repeated. "And we're really staying here for the whole weekend?" She asked excitedly.

"Yep." Reno answered, smiling at her.

She pulled back completely and reached for the car door, quickly opening it and stepping out the car, Reno getting out as well and grabbing their bags out of the back before locking it. She walked around and grabbed his hand. "Let's go!"

Reno chuckled, squeezing her hand and leading her towards the park.

XXXX

Awww! I want Reno! Can I have him?

The next chapter is mindblowing. Seriously, I love it! There's soooo much in it! Actually, I think every single one of our characters makes an appearance... :D

But first, this chapter! What'dya think? Leave us reviews! :D


	20. HALLOWEEN!

Namine walked into their room from the connecting bathroom, smiling at Reno. "I'm going to call Kairi really quickly before we leave, okay?"

"Sure." Reno smiled at her.

Grinning as she searched her bag for her cell phone, she said: "Have I told you how incredibly awesome this has been enough times yet?"

Reno laughed, "A hundred, but it makes me happy every time you say it." he smiled at her.

"Good, because there's no way I can ever repay you for this trip." Namine found her phone, moving to sit on the bed.

"You have no reason to repay me for anything." Reno assured her with a smile.

She dialed her sister, shaking her head at Reno. Whatever he might say, she knew she owed him big for this. Hmm... Christmas isn't that far away... "Kairi, it's Namine."

"_Oh, you're alive. Good."_ Kairi seemed slightly preoccupied with something, but pleased at the same time.

"Of course. I just wanted to let you know I'm fine and we're having a blast. We're at Disneyplace!" Namine said excitedly.

For that, Kairi stopped, _"He took you to Disneyplace?"_

"Yes! He says he called in a favor - we spent all day yesterday at the park and we even have a hotel room practically right inside them! We're going there again today and staying until they close, so I won't be home until late. Kairi? It's amazing!" Namine gushed, smile evident in her voice.

"_Wow... well, that's good... have fun. I'm going to Xigbar's tonight, so I don't know if I'll be here when you get home. I expect details when I do see you, though."_

"Of course, but there's not much to tell. This whole trip has just been perfect." Namine sighed happily.

"_Well, I'm happy for you, Nam. I don't know what it is with the two of us, but we have freakin' awesome timing when it comes to getting boyfriends, apparently. Do you think high heels will kill Axel?"_

"We're twins - of course we do. And I'm sure you could kill anyone with high heels, not just Axel. People underestimate their value as murder weapons." Namine laughed.

Reno stared at Namine for a second, but didn't ask.

"_No, I mean Roxas __wearing__ high heels. Would that kill Axel?"_

"Oh. Definitely. Will he really wear them? Poor Axel, he doesn't stand a chance." Namine said. "So that was what you're working on? An outfit for Roxas to wear to make Axel's brain short circuit?"

"_Yep. Slutty bunny Roxas."_

Namine laughed. "Get a picture if you can! I'm gonna go, Reno's just sitting here waiting for me. Have fun tonight with Xigbar!"

"_I'll do my best, and you too! Enjoy Disneyplace. I'm insanely jealous."_

"Thanks! And maybe for our birthday we can make a day-trip and you won't have to be jealous. Bye, Kairi." Namine grinned.

"_Sounds like a plan to me. I'll start guilting dad into paying for it immediately. See you later." _There was a click as Kairi hung up.

Namine closed her phone and stood up. "Okay, I'll all set. Are you ready?"

Reno hopped up as well, "Yep."

Namine smiled and grabbed her bag. "Let's go!"

Reno smiled, taking her hand as they left the room.

She squeezed his hand and when they stopped to wait for the elevator, gave his cheek a quick kiss. "Thank you." She said sincerely, with a bright smile.

Reno smiled at her again, "You're very welcome."

XXXX

Finally satisfied with the result of a night and morning of work, Kairi put Roxas's costume into a bag before walking out the door and locking it behind her. She headed down the relatively uncrowded streets. A few children were running around in costumes, but it wasn't even dark out yet, so there weren't many.

Stopping at Sora and Roxas's front door, she knocked.

"It's not even _dark_ yet, why are there kids out?" She heard Sora snap from within before the door opened. "Oh. Hey Kai."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Hi Sora."

"I told you I was hanging out with Riku today, didn't I?" Sora asked, suddenly panicking.

Kairi laughed, "Yes, you did. I've got plans with Xigbar, but I have to help Roxas with something first."

"Oh." Sora blinked, "Okay. He's in his room."

"Thanks, Sora." Kairi grinned, heading up the stairs. Getting to Roxas's door, she knocked.

Roxas opened the door. "Kairi. Oh god. You're here. How impossible was it? I think I'm going to faint." He pulled her in and shut the door behind her.

"It wasn't impossible." Kairi rolled her eyes, "And calm down. Everything's here." she put the bag down.

"Okay. You're right. But I really really want to make him drool, okay? So if I don't look drop dead sexy, then we'll scrap the slutty bunny part and stick with the normal bunny costume. All right, tell me what you need me to do." Roxas said, taking a deep breath and looking determined.

Kairi laughed, "Don't worry, you'll look plenty sexy." she said, "Put this on, then come back out here." she said, handing him the bag. "I have to show you how to do your eyeliner."

"Okay." He took the bag and walked out of his room and into the nearby bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. "Axel's going to love this. You can do it." He said firmly, before peeking in the bag. Slowly, he grinned.

Twenty minutes later, he dashed into his room, not wanting Sora to see him. Leaning against the door, he asked, "Well?"

Kairi grinned, "Looks perfect." she said, "Axel's going to love it." she surveyed him for a moment, "Okay, you're going to have to put eyeliner on yourself when you go to change. Out on a limb, ever done this before?" she asked, hoping.

"Once, for my drama class in high school. A few of the girls showed me how and I ended up doing it myself. I only wore it in that class, though, and it was a few years ago, so I don't know how well I'll do now." Roxas explained.

"Okay." Kairi said, "Well, I'll show you how again, then, but you're gonna have to put it on yourself when you change."

"I'll be able to do it." Roxas said firmly. He'd seen what he looked like in this outfit and he knew the eyeliner would be the cherry on top. Axel didn't stand a chance.

Kairi laughed, "Alright, good." she said, proceeding to explain the process to him.

Roxas nodded, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a small mirror, carefully following her instructions. He thankfully didn't poke himself in the eye once and turned to face her as soon as he was done. "Well?"

"Looks good." Kairi nodded, "Good job."

He grinned, standing and spinning slowly. "See anything to fix? Am I wearing it right?"

"Well, I would put the eyeliner on both eyes when you go to do it, but besides that, you look perfect."

Roxas stuck his tongue out at her before grinning. "Axel's reaction? What do you think?"

"I think you might kill him." Kairi admitted.

"From shock or from restraining his desire to screw me on his couch?" Roxas asked curiously.

"Mix of both, though I'm guessing more the second one." Kairi chuckled, glancing at her watch, "Alright, I have to go soon, so get on the rest of the normal costume so Sora doesn't see this one."

"Right. Do I have to take any of this off, or does it all go on top?" Roxas asked.

"Just have to take off the heels." Kairi said, "It goes on top of the rest."

"Okay." Bending down, he took the shoes off and pulled on the rest of the costume, Kairi helping to hide the parts of the sexier version that showed through. Once finished, he was wearing pink velvet pants with a cotton bunny tail on his butt and a matching long sleeves pink shirt as well the bunny ears that he had put on when he first changed.

Kairi nodded appreciatively, "And there you have it. Looks good to me. You'll want to take that one eye of 'liner off, though. There's some makeup remover in that bag somewhere."

"Right. While I do that, can you put the rest of the make up and the high heels in my backpack over there? I'm bringing it with me and telling Axel it's full of regular clothes to change out of my costume later tonight." Roxas said, grabbing the remover and cotton ball, sitting down to use his small mirror to make sure he got all the eyeliner off.

"Yep." Kairi said, grabbing them both and stuffing them in the bag.

Finished, he shoved the bottle into the bag as well before hugging Kairi. "Thank you so much! I'll let you know how it goes."

"Please do." Kairi grinned, "And if possible, take a picture later so I can show Namine."

"I'm sure Larxene will take some - I'll get you copies. Larxene is his roommate." Roxas grinned. "I'm totally going to kick ass! I'm nervous excited. Oh man. Maybe I should bake something..."

Kairi laughed, "Alright, well, have fun. I have to get going. See you later, Rox."

"Thank you!" Roxas smiled, following Kairi out of his bedroom and downstairs, giving her a quick wave before heading into the kitchen. He had enough time to make brownies...

XXXX

Kairi flattened down her pajama pants and glanced at herself in the mirror. Not her best look, but it was definitely exactly what she'd _told_ Xigbar she'd be wearing. Grabbing her bag, she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen to wait for him.  
Xigbar grinned and making sure the hand behind his back hid his present, knocked on Kairi's door.

Kairi spun on her heel as she heard the knock, having no real reason to actually go to the kitchen, and walked over to the door, swinging it open.

Bowing gallantly, Xigbar presented Kairi with a dozen white chocolate roses. "Happy Halloween, Red."

Kairi raised an eyebrow but smiled, "Thank you." she said, taking them, "People don't usually get each other gifts on Halloween, though." she let him inside.

"Do I really need an excuse to shower you with presents, Sass?" Xigbar laughed. "Besides, it's Halloween and I figured you deserved to have some candy since we don't have much at the apartment."

Kairi chuckled, "Well, thank you." she said, putting them down on the small end table in the living room and leaning on the back of the couch, "I'll be sure to devour them later." she winked.

"God, what an image." Xigbar grinned, looking her up and down slowly. "Damn, I was right - sleepwear is sexy. Ready to go, Red?"

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Yep." she smiled. "Any of your roommates gonna be there?"

"Leon's out with Cloud - yes Leon's the roommate of mine Cloud's dating - but Seifer'll be home. He should behave, though. And if not, well, I'm sure you can put him in his place, Sassy." Xigbar smirked.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kairi chuckled, picking up her bag.

"Let's go, then." Xigbar held the door open for her, locking and closing it behind them before leading her to his car.

Kairi climbed into the car, noting mutely that her sneakers did not match her pajamas and then rolling her eyes at the ridiculous thoughts that managed to come into her head lately. "So, Roxas is all sexied up in that costume now." she commented as Xigbar climbed into the driver's side.

Xigbar grinned, buckling quickly and starting the car, pulling away from the curb and heading to his apartment. "Did he actually pull it off or end up looking ridiculous? Because, I gotta say, that outfit would not look good on everyone, Red."

"I think he pulled it off, but I may be a little biased, having put a lot of it together." Kairi laughed. "He's promised to get me copies of the pictures that will inevitably be taken, so I'll be sure to show you."

Xigbar snickered. "More power to him, then. Dessert god's got balls." He slowed to stop at a stop sign, smiling at Kairi before refocusing on the road.

Kairi smiled back, "Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Nam's still alive and her boyfriend took her to Disneyplace for the weekend." she rolled her eyes, "She called me this morning, sounding like she was about to explode from happiness and excitement."

Xigbar cursed lightly. "That's a great idea! I shoulda thought of that..."  
Kairi laughed, "You don't need to take me to Disneyplace." she rolled her eyes.  
"For our anniversary, then." He winked. "Glad your sister's okay and having fun, though. Told you not to worry. You and her are both tough women, Red."

Kairi shrugged, "Yeah, well... in different ways." she said, smiling at him and not commenting on him spilling anniversary plans, especially considering they'd been dating (if she could call this that, which she supposed she could now) for a grand total of not-even-a-month.

"I think you're more alike than you see." Xigbar said in a rare moment of complete seriousness. Then he sent her a brief smile, "So. Tell me something about you I should I know, Red."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, before thinking, "Well, I have this unhealthy obsession with root beer. I'm pretty sure that if I stopped drinking it I would convulse or die or something. It might possibly be replacing blood or oxygen in my system."

"Okay then. Guess I should stock up on the stuff, huh? And this is it, by the way." Xigbar pulled into his parking spot, cutting the engine.

"Very nice." Kairi commented, looking around the parking garage, "But then again, you told me that you lived in an apartment building, not a parking garage." she smirked at Xigbar.

Xigbar stared at before laughing. "Damn, Red, you're perfect." Still chuckling, he climbed out the car, walking around to offer his hand to Kairi in order to help her out before taking firm hold of it and leading her to his apartment.

Kairi laughed, leaning against him for a moment as she squeezed his hand, and following him.

He stopped in front of his apartment, grinning at Kairi before unlocking the door and pulling them both inside, shutting the door behind them. "Seifer! I'm back! Get your ass out here!"

"Chill, man!" Seifer called back, "I'll be out in a minute!"

Kairi giggled.

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "He's touchy these days because he's suddenly the only single one of us three living here. I say he needs to get laid. Wanna grab a seat here in the living room and I'll get you a drink? I think we have root beer, aren't you lucky?"

"Incredibly." Kairi chuckled, sitting down and smiling, "Thank you."

Grabbing the soda for Kairi and a bottle of water for himself, Xigbar walked back into the living room and sat down next to Kairi, offering her the drink. Placing his on the table, he gestured to the impressive stack of movies. "You can take your pick of those or we can try to find something on TV. Up to you, Red."

"Oh, no." Kairi said, "I'm faced with decisions." she popped her can open, taking a sip, and standing up to look through the movies as Seifer walked out of his room and into the living room.

"Seifer, Kairi. Kairi, Seifer." Xigbar said, making the introductions.

Kairi turned, "Hello." she said, nodding at Seifer.

"Hey." Seifer nodded, plopping into a chair, "Nice to meet you. Watch out for Xigbar, he's not as nice as he seems."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, smirking at Xigbar.

"Ignore Seifer. He was dropped on his head as a child. Repeatedly." Xigbar grinned.

"Won't deny that." Seifer chuckled.

Kairi laughed, turning back to the movies.

"Find anything yet, Red?" Xigbar asked.

"Yep." Kairi said, standing up, holding two horror movies, "Pick." she said, handing them to Xigbar and sitting back down.

Xigbar shrugged. "Don't care. You're the guest, you pick."

"This one, then." Kairi said, putting the other one on the table.

Xigbar nodded, taking the one she'd picked and throwing it at Seifer. "Put that in, would you? You're closest." He put his arm around Kairi, pulling her closer and grinning.

Seifer rolled his eyes, catching the DVD case as it flew towards his head, and got up, putting the DVD in before plopping back down.

"Isn't he so well trained?" Xigbar asked Kairi with a grin. "That'd be mostly Leon's doing. But damn if I don't like taking advantage of it."

Seifer threw the closest thing he could find, the DVD case, at Xigbar as Kairi laughed.

Xigbar easily caught the case, chuckling. "Aw, you mad, Seif? I'm telling you, find a girl - or a dude, whatever - and you'll feel infinitely better." He pulled Kairi closer.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." he said, still not believing that Xigbar could ever possibly be serious about a girl.

"You watching, too?" Xigbar asked, grabbing the remote and getting ready to press play.

"Got nothing better to do." Seifer shrugged.

"Then let the fun begin." Xigbar grinned, starting the movie.

XXXX

Riku grinned as he pulled up to Sora's house, parking his car (it was actually working!) and grabbing the bag of candy he'd bought before climbing out and locking up, heading up to his best friend's house and knocking.

Sora answered the door this time without shouting about children trick or treating before dark, and grinned, "Hey, Riku."

Riku smiled. "Hi, Sora. I brought some candy, in case you were running low." He handed over the bag, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him.

"Thank youuuu." Sora said, putting the candy bag on the table he'd dragged over to the door, "Kids are fucking leeches this year, I swear."

Riku laughed. "No problem." He pulled Sora into a quick hug. "Movies?" He asked, pulling back and taking a step towards the living room.

"Yep." Sora chuckled, pulling him into the living room where he'd put a bunch of movies on the table in advance.

Grabbing a random movie from the pile, Riku held it up. "This one?"

"Sure." Sora nodded, taking it from him and putting it in.

"Great." Riku sat down on the couch, waiting for Sora to start the movie and sit next to him before taking his hand and licking his lips. "Ah, Sora?"

"Yeah?" Sora asked, turning to him.

"Usually when you're dating someone, you spend a lot of time trying to get to know them, right? But we've been best friends forever so we don't really have to play 20 questions - we know each other already. And we've been dating a week now and I know you want to go slow which I'm fine with, but I was thinking maybe I could kiss you?" Riku said in a nervous rush.

Sora turned a shade of bright red quite similar to Kairi's hair and stared at Riku for a minute as millions of different, not quite connected, thoughts ran through his head. "I... uh... O-okay?"

"Okay? Really?" Riku asked hopefully, scooting closer to Sora.

Sora's face was still bright red, but he took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind (which still wasn't forming a coherent thought), before nodding.

Riku smiled, thumb rubbing in soothing circles on Sora's hand which he still held tightly. He placed his other hand hesitantly on Sora's shoulder, pulling him a little closer, watching his face carefully for any signs of him wanting to back out. Slowly he leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart, eyes half-lidded, gaze flicking between Sora's eyes and his lips.

Taking a breath, Riku leaned forward those last inches and pressed their lips together gently.

After a few seconds in which Sora did not respond in the slightest, Riku pulled back a little, still clutching the brunette's hand and fingers lightly gripping his shoulder. "Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... okay? Did I go too fast?" Riku asked, face dropping as he pulled further away, letting his hand fall from Sora's shoulder and returning it to lay useless in his lap.

"No! No... I'm," Sora paused, "Er, fine. I... Do you see what you reduce me to, Riku? Fuck, all I do is babble."

Slowly, Riku smiled. "So you're not mad? It was okay?"

"Right." Sora said, "It's just... different, I guess. Gonna take a little getting used to. But definitely okay."

Riku grinned, leaning closer and placing his hand back on Sora's shoulder but this time letting it slide up his neck and cup his cheek. "You know what they say. Practice makes perfect." This time when he leaned in, he closed his eyes, sighing lightly as their lips connected again, moving his softly, gently against Sora's.

Sora's eyes widened a bit before he let them slowly drift closed, trying to not think and just feel. Riku, it's just Riku. Hesitantly, he tried to move his lips like Riku was, eliciting a soft sound of surprise from the silverette. Slowly opening his eyes, Riku pulled back, smiling.

Blinking, Sora fully opened his eyes once his brain registered that Riku had stopped again.

The doorbell ringing interrupted the two, and Sora jumped up, "Uhh, sorry. One sec." he dashed out of the room, taking a deep breath to calm his blush before opening the door to give the kids that were no doubt standing there some candy.

Riku chuckled and felt kind of proud to cause his boyfriend to blush so much as he watched Sora dash out to give the trick-or-treater's some candy. Patiently, he waited for him to come back.

A few seconds later, Sora returned, blush calmed and looking mostly normal.

Riku grinned. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. Why wouldn't things be fine. Fuck." Sora grumbled as he sat back down, "The babbling. I swear, I only do this when you're around."

Riku's grin widened and he grabbed Sora's hand. "It's cute. I like being able to short circuit your brain."

Sora rolled his eyes at him, "You're killing my entire reputation. If Kairi ever saw me like this, I would never hear the end of it."

"Mhmm. Well, tell me what exactly about me makes you babble and I'll try to avoid reducing you to mush when she's around." Riku said, still smiling, ridiculously happy. "Of course, when she's not around..."

Sora rolled his eyes, "I don't think you _can_ stop reducing me to mush, Riku."

Riku's grin turn into a smirk. "Good. I love you, Sora."

Sora's blush was back, but this time not as bright as Kairi's hair.

Riku laughed a little before cupping Sora's face again and just staring into his eyes. After several minutes, he sighed and smiled. "Do you want to try being the one to kiss me? That might be more comfortable for you since you're used to taking the lead in a relationship, right? Or is that too much for you in one night? I have no problem waiting for you, Sora, until your comfortable with me."

Sora let his forehead fall to Riku's shoulder and mumbled something about dying.

Riku chuckled and wrapped his arms lightly around him. "Too much, then. That's okay. How about I just hold you close and we actually watch this movie?"

"That sounds good." Sora said, not moving. The doorbell rang, "Ahhhhhhhhh, go away. Fucking kids..."

Riku laughed. "I'll get it this time." He let go of Sora and pushed him back gently. "Uh, Sora? You're kind of trapping my legs. I have to get the door."

"No." Sora said, not moving, "There's plenty of other houses that kids can get candy at."

Riku blinked, studying Sora's face. "So what you're really saying is, you don't want me to let go?"

"I'm telling you that I'm liable to tackle you if you try it."

Riku grinned as the blush reappeared on Sora's face. Unable to resist, he quickly gave him one more kiss before pulling him closer, holding him tightly.

XXXX

Managing to juggle the two fairly large pumpkins he was holding, Cloud knocked on Zack's door and stepped back a bit, smiling quickly at Leon who was holding the other two pumpkins.

"Coming!" Zack yelled and then the door was hastily opened.

"Cloudy! You guys made it and wow, look at those pumpkins! Oh man is this going to be fun! C'mon in!" Zack said with a huge grin, opening the door wider and closing it once they were both inside.

"Aerith's setting up the table for our carving so come on. Are they heavy?" Zack asked as he led the men through his house.

Cloud half-shrugged. "Not heavy as much as awkward."

Zack grinned. "Perfect. Aerith, they're here!" He grinned, walking over to kiss his wife, who was just finishing laying down a plastic tablecloth.

"Oh, hi!" Aerith smiled, smoothing the tablecloth down, "I'm Aerith, it's nice to meet you." she smiled at Leon, who nodded at her.

"You too." he said, "You have a nice home."

"Thank you." Aerith smiled.

Zack nudged Cloud. "Ain't he just mister charming, huh?"

Putting the pumpkins down, Cloud smacked Zack's shoulder. "Knock it off, Zack! I recall a certain someone desperately memorizing poetry when trying to woo Aerith."

Zack laughed. "Okay, okay. Still. I'm happy for you, you deserve a good guy for once."

Cloud rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. As soon as Leon placed his pumpkins on the table, too, he reached for his hand, grinning at him before smiling at Aerith. "Hey, Aerith. Zack behaving?"

"As much as Zack _can_ behave." Aerith rolled her eyes, smacking her husband lightly as she smiled.

Zack whined, "Owww, baby!"

Cloud laughed. "So, official introductions to get them out of the way - Leon, my idiot best friend's lovely wife, Aerith. Aerith, this is my boyfriend Leon."

Aerith smiled again, "Like I said before, it's very nice to meet you."

"You too." Leon nodded again.

Zack rolled his eyes. "Let's carve the pumpkins!"

"Jeez, Zack, you really didn't develop self-control, huh?" Cloud teased.

Zack stuck his tongue out at him, before pulling back a chair for Aerith and then sitting down himself, Cloud and Leon following his lead and sitting at the table as well.

"So... how do you do this?" Cloud asked.

Zack gaped at him. "C'mon, Cloudy, you seriously don't know?"

Cloud scowled at him. "I've never done it before!"

"Oh." Zack said, comprehension dawning on his face. "_Oh_. Well, uh... Leon'll help you." He grinned, turning to his wife. "Okay, baby: funny or scary?"

"Whatever you go with, if it's going to be scary, try and make it at least tolerable to the kids this year." Aerith rolled her eyes, "I'm the one that has to deal with the angry parents of the crying kids."

Leon turned to Cloud, "So, you really have no idea how to carve a pumpkin?" he asked.

Zack chuckled. "Okay, funny it is!" He grabbed one of the markers Aerith had set out along with the carving tools and gave it to his wife, taking another for himself and immediately drawing on his pumpkin.

Cloud gave Leon a look. "I told you, I've never done this before. I assume you cut the shapes you want, right?"

"Eventually." Leon nodded, "First you have to draw the face, or whatever you're carving into it on." he said, handing Cloud a marker. "So you know where to cut."

Cloud took the marker, staring at it like it was a live snake poised to strike. "Um... how about you draw it? I don't care what you make." He tried giving the marker back.

"You aren't worming your way out of this." Leon chuckled, "Just draw a face."

"I'm not good at drawing. At all." Cloud said.

Zack snickered, momentarily looking up from his pumpkin. "I forgot about that! Cloudy, here, failed art. Repeatedly. In elementary school. The teacher took pity on him and passed him so he wouldn't have to repeat any grades."

Cloud blushed and grumbled, "Shut up, Zack."

Zack just laughed louder.

"Well, I didn't fail art, but I barely passed." Leon said, "So, don't worry about it." he smiled, "Just... draw a smiley face or something." he shrugged.

Cloud looked doubtful but uncapped the marker, squaring his shoulders and drawing two shaky shapes that were almost circles and a wide laughing mouth under them that resembled a sinking ship.

"De-gutting time! Man, this is my favorite part!" Zack said excitedly, taking one of the carving knives and cutting the top part of the pumpkin off. He shoved his hand in and scooped out a large chunk of pumpkin guts. "Braaaains! Braaaaaains!" He moaned, shoving the guts at his wife.

Aerith squeaked, scrambling away from the pumpkin guts that were heading towards her and almost toppled out of her chair, "Zack!"

Zack grinned, dumping the guts on the table. "Sorry, baby. Couldn't help myself there."

Cloud looked at Leon's pumpkin and shook his head. "Barely passed art, my ass. You shouldn't lie to your boyfriend, you know." He reached across the table, grabbing the same tool Zack had used on his pumpkin and did what he'd watched his best friend do, cutting the top off of his pumpkin smoothly and efficiently.

"I didn't lie to you." Leon chuckled, beheading his pumpkin as well, and glancing at Cloud's, "I'm starting to doubt that you've never done this before." he said.

"Tools are my thing. This is what I'm good at - taking things apart and putting them back together. Also, I just saw Zack do it and contrary to popular belief, not all blondes are stupid." With that, Cloud shoved his hand into his pumpkin and proceeded to rip the guts out.

Zack laughed but didn't say anything, completely content to watch Cloudy and Leon. After all, that brunette better be good enough for him! "Want me to de-gut yours for you, babe?" He asked his wife.

"Please and thank you." Aerith chuckled, pushing her pumpkin towards him.

Gleefully, Zack shoved his hands into the pumpkin, mushing around the guts before thoroughly scrapping the inside of the pumpkin clean. He double checked them both and deeming the fun part done, sighed a little before giving Aerith a quick kiss and heading to the bathroom to wash his hands of pumpkin guts.

Cloud scraped out his pumpkin, nodding to himself. Done. "Cut along the lines, right?" He muttered, grabbing a carving tool, uncaring that his hands still had traces of pumpkin guts on them.

"Yep." Leon said, glancing up as Aerith grabbed a large knife to begin cutting hers open. He picked up a tool of his own to work on his.

Zack skipped back into the room, sitting beside Aerith once more and admiring her progress. "Beautiful." He said, grinning into her eyes, before hacking at his own pumpkin.

Cloud stuck his tongue out a teeny bit in concentration as he carefully cut into his pumpkin, hands completely steady.

Leon wasn't one for complicated patterns or faces on pumpkins, so he finished his simple carving rather quickly, replacing the tools on the table and checking it to make sure he hadn't missed anything he was supposed to cut, before glancing at Cloud's.

"Done! I'm done! It's alive!" Zack cackled madly. "What'dya think?" He asked, whipping the pumpkin around.

Cloud finished the last bit and put his tool down, glancing at Zack's clown face on his pumpkin. "Cute." He turned his around.

"Damn, Cloudy. For that being your first time carving, came out pretty good - all the cuts are so smooth!" Zack said.

Cloud shrugged. "Told you - working with tools is what I'm good at."

Zack chuckled. "I'll say. I bet you're really good with your hands, too, huh?" He winked at Leon.

Leon raised an eyebrow but declined to answer, turning to Cloud instead, "You did a good job."

Cloud grinned. "Thanks."

Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it! It's the trick-or-treaters!" Zack yelled, jumping up and running to the door.

Cloud shook his head, standing. "C'mon, I'll show you where the bathroom is so you can wash your hands. That okay, Aerith?"

"That's fine." Aerith smiled, standing up to start cleaning up.

Leon stood up as well.

Cloud headed down the hallway, making sure Leon was following, as entered the bathroom, turning on the faucet and washing his hands, grinning when Leon's hands joined his under the water spray.

"Thanks for this. Zack's having a lot of fun and I can tell Aerith is, too, just 'cause Zack is so happy." Cloud said as he dried his hands, smiling at Leon.

"It's no problem." Leon chuckled, taking the towel from Cloud and drying his own hands, "I'm enjoying myself too."

"I'm glad." Cloud smiled, stepping forward and giving Leon a quick kiss. "Better get back out there." He reached for Leon's hand, leading them back out to where Aerith was all done cleaning up and Zack was putting candles in the pumpkins.

"Gotta light them up!" Zack said excitedly.

"You? With fire?" Cloud said. "Maybe someone else should do it..."

Zack pouted. "I'll be careful!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Fine. Don't complain if you burn yourself, though."

Giving Zack a look, Aerith snatched the matches before he could, "Well, if he burns himself, I'm the one who has to take care of him, so if no one minds, I'll just light them."

"Aw." Zack started to protest but one look from Aerith had him shutting his mouth.

Cloud snickered. "Yeah, Aerith's definitely in charge."

Zack stuck his tongue out at Cloud. "We love each other! And I bet Leon's the one in charge of you!"

Cloud cuffed his best friend in the back of the head. Hard. "Idiot."

Leon chuckled, and Aerith spoke up, rolling her eyes, "Enough." she said, giggling despite herself, "Zack, isn't there something you needed to _tell_ Cloud?"

"Huh?" Zack blinked. "Tell Cloudy? What... Oh! Right! Ah, Cloud." Zack said, putting an arm around Aerith and grinning at him. "Aerith's pregnant. We're going to have a baby!"

"Wow! A baby! Wow! You're going to be a dad! Oh my god, wow, Zack! Congratulations!" Cloud pulled the couple into a hug. "You'll be great parents!"

XXXX

Demyx leaned backwards on the bathroom door, sighing, "Zexion, come on. You look great, and you need to come _out_ of the bathroom."

"You can't know that! I don't know about this... I look ridiculous!" Zexion yelled through the door, tugging on his lab coat.

"You do not." Demyx rolled his eyes, "And I'll never know for sure until you let me in."

"...Promise you won't laugh?" Zexion asked.

Demyx smiled, "Promise." He stopped leaning on the door so he wouldn't fall backwards when it was opened.

Taking a shaky breath and feeling his cheeks starting to burn from embarrassment already, Zexion flipped the lock and turned the knob on the door, letting it swing open.

Demyx smiled at him, "That wasn't so hard, was it? You look great."

"You're just saying that." Zexion mumbled, letting his hair fall in front of his face, hands still absentmindedly tugging on the coat.

"I've told you a hundred times that I wouldn't 'just say' something like that." Demyx rolled his eyes, grabbing Zexion's wrist and dragging him back into the bathroom, "Anyway, I still need to do your hair."

"My hair?" Zexion asked, eyes widening.

Demyx grinned at him, "Of course."

"Why do you have to do my hair - isn't it fine like usual? I doubt anyone will mistake what I'm supposed to be, with this lab coat." Zexion said.

"Yeah, but you don't look crazy enough yet." Demyx said, "Now hold still."

Zexion held his breath as Demyx stepped up close to him, his cheeks burning again but for a different reason, stomach flipping. He frantically looked anywhere but at the blonde, who was way too close!

Amused, but trying not to show it, Demyx spoke, "You okay? You look like you're about to pass out. If you'd rather Larxene do your hair, I can go get her. She'll probably do it better than me anyway."

"No!" Zexion shouted. "No, I don't want her anywhere near my hair! Or to see me like this, for that matter... No. I'm fine." He took a shaky deep breath, trying to appear calm.

"You do know that she's going to see you in your costume, right?" Demyx asked, raising an eyebrow, "You're not hiding in the bathroom all night." he said, even as he started to style Zexion's hair.

"Y-yes?" Zexion squeaked. His brain couldn't come up with a single coherent response, not with Demyx running his fingers through his hair!

Demyx raised an eyebrow but decided that it was probably better to fall silent until he was done with Zexion's hair.

Zexion closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Demyx was still running his fingers through his hair, spiking it this way and that, but Zexion just focused on the fluttering in his stomach and how good it felt. He let out a small sigh, completely relaxing.

When Demyx finished, he took a step back, "Alright, looks good. Take a look." he gestured to the mirror.

Tensing as he stepped back, Zexion hesitantly opened his eyes and turned towards the mirror. He gaped at his image - it looked nothing like him! His hair was all over the place, sticking out in crazy directions. "How did you do that?" He asked, reaching up to lightly finger one spike.

Demyx shrugged, "Lots of gel and hairspray." he said.

Nodding and accepting the answer, Zexion let his hand drop. "Ah, how about we just hang out in my room? There's really no need to go to the living room - we don't need candy and I'm sure Larxene can handle giving it out by herself."

Demyx shook his head, "You're not gonna weasel your way out of it." he said, grinning, "Come on, you look great."

"You look great. I look like a crazy person." Zexion said with a shake of the head and light blush.

"That's the idea of a mad scientist, Zex." Demyx laughed.

Zexion's blush deepened. "I know that!" He snapped. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Demyx chuckled, leading the way out of the bathroom.

Resigning himself to the laughter, Zexion followed, shoulders slumping. He looked ridiculous... He almost walked right into Demyx when the blonde suddenly stopped in front of him once they reached the living room. Zexion hid behind him.

Demyx glanced over his shoulder at Zexion as Larxene glanced over. She was dressed as a witch, which was one of her lazier costumes of the past few years, since it had been assembled by literally taking bits of pieces of her past four costumes. "Oh, hey, I was wondering where you two were hiding. Now I know where Zex has been hiding."

Demyx side stepped, leaving Zexion in full view.

"By the way, looking good." she grinned, turning to the door as the bell rang again and wondering silently how long it would take the parents of these kids to realize that every single kid under seven screamed as they left this house.

Zexion stared after her. That was it? No laughter? No mocking? Numbly, he followed Demyx and sat down on the couch, turning to the blonde. "Did you tell her I was dressing up or what costume you had picked for me?"

Demyx chuckled, sitting down next to him, "I only told her I'd convinced you to dress up."

Zexion nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, Larxene is in charge of terrorizing the kids and handing out candy and we're in costume. Now what?"

Demyx shrugged, "That's up to you."

"You're the Halloween expert here - I usually stay in my room and let them have their fun. We're too old to go trick-or-treating and besides doing that and handing out candy, I don't know of anything else to do." Zexion said.

Larxene walked over, this round of kid-terrorizing done, and leaned on the back of the couch, "I'm sure there are some old Halloween specials on TV. Turn something on."

Demyx grabbed the remote, doing just that.

Zexion looked between the two of them before shrugging and giving in completely to this bizarre holiday, watching as Demyx chose a movie.

Demyx smiled at Zexion as he found a movie, putting the remote down, and Larxene dashed off to answer the door again.

"Is this horror movie particularly gory?" Zexion asked.

"Never seen it before." Demyx shrugged. "I guess we'll find out?"

Zexion nodded. "I'm not a fan of gore."

"We'll change the channel if it is, then." Demyx said.

Zexion shook his head. "You don't have to - if you find you like this movie and want to watch it, then go ahead. I'll just go read a book if it gets gory."

Demyx just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Zexion narrowed his eyes. "You know, it's rude to roll your eyes."

Demyx glanced at him, "Well, I'd have hoped that by now you'd have figured out that I'd rather spend time with you than watch a random Halloween movie." he raised an eyebrow.

Zexion blinked and his stomach flipped. "I..." He closed his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Demyx chuckled, but said nothing else.

Staring at his lap and blushing, Zexion muttered, "I enjoy spending time with you as well."

Demyx glanced over and smiled at him.

Wishing his hair wasn't spiked up so he could hide behind it, Zexion peeked at Demyx, just catching his smile. Quickly, he dropped his gaze back to his lap, trying to slow his racing heart and getting annoyed with himself for constantly acting like a lovestruck teenager around Demyx. _But you are a lovestruck teenager. _A voice in his head said. _Shut up._ He snapped at himself, gathering enough courage to resume watching the movie as if nothing unusual had happened.

Unaware of Zexion's inner mental turmoil, Demyx leaned back. Larxene vaulted over and into a chair on the other side of the room, not disturbing the two of them, but not leaving them alone either. Whether she was just bored without kids to torment or keeping an eye on them would never be known.

XXXX

Roxas heard a car beep and knew that was Axel. Grabbing his backpack and bag of brownies, he yelled as he ran, "That's Axel. I'm leaving - staying at his house tonight, have fun bye!" Barely catching a glimpse of his brother and Riku on the couch, Roxas threw open the front door and slammed it shut behind him, jogging down the path to the awaiting car. Grinning, he climbed in to the passenger seat. "Hi Axel. Wow! You look amazing!" And the redhead did, in his suit and top hat, and was that a cape?

"Hey Rox." Axel grinned back, giving his boyfriend a kiss, "You look awesome yourself."

Roxas smirked. "Thanks." As the car pulled away and headed for the haunted house, he said, "I made brownies while I was waiting. Want one?"

"Of course." Axel said, "I will never pass up your cooking. Gimme."

Roxas reached into the bag and pulled out one, holding it up in front of Axel's mouth with a grin so that he could eat it while keeping both hands on the wheel.

Axel laughed, "You're the best," and took a bite.

"Well?" Roxas asked, waiting for Axel to swallow.

Axel glanced at him for a split second, "Do you really need to ask?" he laughed.

Holding up the rest of the brownie to Axel's mouth, Roxas grinned. "It's nice to hear that you enjoy it."

Axel laughed again, taking another bite.

Roxas shuddered a little as Axel's mouth grazed his fingertips. "Um. So, the haunted house. You know how to get there?"

Axel nodded, before swallowing, "Yep, I think so."

"Okay." Roxas licked his lips, offering the last bite to the redhead, shivering as he took it and slowly bringing his hand back to his lap before clearing his throat. "Uh. Are you nervous? About meeting my friends? 'Cause you shouldn't be, they'll behave, mostly."

Axel shrugged, "Not really. I figure that if you managed to survive meeting Larx, Cloud, and Zex, that I can handle your friends." he chuckled.

Roxas nodded. "Good. It's right up here." Axel turned into the place and quickly found a parking spot. Roxas scanned the area and was just going to pull out his cell phone when he spotted his friends standing around Hayner and Olette's car. "I see them!" Leaving his backpack in the car but bringing the brownies with him, Roxas climbed out and shut the door behind him, walking around to Axel's side as the redhead did the same, locking the car. Sending him a quick grin, Roxas took his hand and they headed to meet his friends.

"Finally! Took you long enough to get here." Hayner grumbled.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Everyone, this is Axel. Axel, the pirate is Pence, the zombie is Hayner, and the fairy is Olette."

"It's nice to meet you." Pence said politely, offering his hand.

Axel shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too." he nodded.

Hayner looked him up and down. "You're taller than I expected."

"Hayner!" Roxas snapped.

"Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you and all that. I really only got one thing to say to you." Hayner stepped up close to Axel, glaring at him. "Hurt Roxas and I'll kill you." Stepping back, he grinned. "Can we go into the haunted house, now?"

"That was actually a lot easier than I expected." Axel chuckled.

Olette grabbed her brother's arm, "Come on, then!" she said, dragging him towards the haunted house.

Pence smiled. "I'm happy for you and Roxas. Keep him happy and none of us will have a problem with you." He walked after Hayner and Olette. "Wait for us, you guys!"

Roxas tugged on Axel's hand, pulling him down for a quick kiss. "Told you they'd behave. C'mon, let's go!"

Axel chuckled, "Right." he said, squeezing Roxas's hand and following him to the haunted house.

"Should probably have told you sooner, but these kinds of things freak me out." Roxas said, holding on to Axel tightly.

"That's right! Remember last year? I thought Rox was gonna piss his pants!" Hayner taunted, laughing.

"You're the one who screamed like a girl!" Pence laughed.

Axel chuckled, taking his hand from Roxas's and putting it over his boyfriend's shoulders.

Roxas smiled up at him gratefully as they moved through the dark hallway.

"Ooh, look at that!" Pence said. "So cool!"

"What? Ahh! What the hell? How is that cool?" Hayner demanded, pointing at the body shackled to the ground with several knives sticking out from several body parts.

Roxas closed his eyes as Pence snickered. "It's so real!" He said mockingly.

Axel squeezed Roxas's shoulders to reassure him.

They kept walking and Roxas opened his eyes as a loud, piercing wail filled the air.

"Shit!" Hayner yelled, leaping and grabbing onto his sister.

"It's a soundtrack, relax." Pence said with an eyeroll.

Roxas warily glanced around as they kept moving. Suddenly, something touched his arm and he screamed, trying to bolt forward but unable to really move with Axel's grip on him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He yelled.

Olette grinned, "Roxas, it's just me." she said, "I couldn't resist." she skipped past them to catch up with Hayner and Pence.

Slumping into Axel, Roxas groaned. "I'm going to kill her."

"C'mon, lovebirds! Don't fall behind, now!" Hayner called.

Axel chuckled, squeezing him again.

"Oooh, looks like they've upgraded the torture chambers." Pence noted from the lead of the group.

"Y-yeah." Hayner said shakily.

"Ax? If I close my eyes and ask you to guide me through, will you think I'm a coward?" Roxas asked, paling as he heard his friends' screams from ahead of them.

"Not in the slightest." Axel said, "Go ahead."

Hugging him and burying his face into his side, Roxas clutched his brownies tightly and and sighed, allowing Axel to guide him through the next part.

"Ooh, I'd forgotten about the ghost and werewolf section. Nice." Pence said.

"How the hell is this nice?" Hayner yelled, ducking a flying ghost.

Roxas opened his eyes and peeked out, immediately closing them again and wishing he hadn't although the screams and horror music playing wasn't doing much for his nerves.

Axel reassured Roxas with another squeeze, "The animatronics are pretty nice but the art is pathetic. What's the use of having something _move_ like it's real if it doesn't even _look_ real?"

"Exactly! It's like they're not even trying!" Pence agreed.

"You're both insane." Hayner muttered. "This is the end, thank god. Rox, we're out."

Roxas slowly opened his eyes, realizing they were heading for the large exit doors and breathed a sigh of relief, although still clutched Axel tightly.

Axel chuckled softly, not complaining in the slightest about Roxas clutching him.

They left the haunted house and Roxas took a deep breath, finally letting go of Axel.

"Now that that's over, our house for movies?" Hayner asked with a grin.

"Oh! I baked brownies. Here, you guys take them. We're going to Axel's now." Roxas said with a smile.

"Brownies? Awesome!" Pence grinned, taking the bag.

Olette snatched a brownie, "Aww, well, you two have fun."

Roxas grinned nervously and licked his lips. "We will."

"Behave." Hayner smirked.

Roxas smacked his arm.

Axel laughed, "My roommates'll be there, and two of them are younger than him, so I don't think there's anything to worry about." he said, putting his arm over Roxas's shoulders again.

"Right." Roxas smiled.

"Your roommates are younger than Roxas? Dude, you dating a pedophile or something?" Hayner asked incredulously.

Roxas smacked him again. "Again with the talking before thinking. Are you trying to start another stalker-fiasco, or are you just that stupid?"

Hayner sputtered and moved to hit Roxas back but thought better of it with Axel standing right there. "Yeah, sure. My bad."

Axel laughed, but said nothing.

"See you guys later!" Roxas waved, grabbing Axel's hand and tugging him in the direction of the car.

"Bye Rox!" Hayner grinned.

"See you later! You should hang out with us more, Axel, if you're really serious about Roxas." Pence smiled.

"I'll be sure to." Axel promised.

Olette waved.

Roxas sighed as they reached the car, climbing in. Reminding himself that Axel was absolutely going to love his costume, he smiled at the redhead. "Let's go."

XXXX

Axel pushed open the front door to the house, holding it open for Roxas before entering himself. Larxene waved from where she was sprawled in a chair, "Hey you two."

"Hi." Roxas said, tightening his grip on his backpack.

"Magician and a rabbit, right? Very... creative." Zexion said from the couch.

"Your hair looks awesome, Zex." Axel said, walking around the couch so he'd have a better view, "You look good too, Dem."

Demyx grinned, "Thank you very much."

"Still can't believe you managed to convince Zexion to dress up, though." he laughed.

The doorbell rang and Larxene flew out of her chair to answer it.

"You try saying no to his pout..." Zexion grumbled.  
"Ax? I'm going to go change, okay?" Roxas said, inching towards the hallway.

Axel looked up and smiled at Roxas, "Sure."

Roxas smiled back and headed to the bathroom, quickly entering and locking the door behind him. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath before carefully removing the regular rabbit costume and smoothing out the underlying sluttier version. He pulled out the high heels and strapped them on before stepping closer to the mirror to carefully apply his eyeliner. Several minutes later, he replaced the makeup and other clothes into his backpack and studied himself in the mirror. He still had on the pink bunny ears, but now his eyes were outlined in dark eyeliner. He had a collar around his neck and a vest on that ended just above his bellybutton. Two detached cuff links hung around his wrists almost like manacles. Short shorts that barely covered his ass with a small cotton tail on the back led into fishnet stockings and two each heels on each foot.

A light blush dusted his cheeks but he grinned. "Axel's going to love this. Confidence, Rox. You can totally do this."

Nodding to himself, Roxas left the backpack in the bathroom as it would have ruined his look and unlocked the door, fixing a cocky smirk on his face as he sauntered down the hall to the living room.

Axel's back was to Roxas as he exited the hallway, as he'd been holding a conversation with Demyx and Zexion. As Roxas walked out, Demyx glanced up, immediately stiffening and blinking.

"What's up?" Axel asked him, surprised, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes fell on Roxas. Straining around to get a better view, Axel toppled to the ground, falling off the arm of the chair he'd been sitting on.

Roxas's smirk widened and he completely ignored everyone else in the room. "Axel." He purred, slowly walking over to where the redhead was sprawled on the floor.

Zexion's eyes were huge and he opened and closed his mouth before turning to shared a shocked look with Demyx.

Demyx returned the look, but despite the shock, he was definitely amused.

Axel looked up at Roxas, muttering, "Zexion, kick me," as Larxene walked away from the front door. When her eyes fell on Roxas, she immediately grabbed her camera, snapping a picture.

"Don't you like my costume, Axel? I wore it just for you." Roxas said with a light blush and a spark in his eyes.

Zexion turned to Axel. "You're awake. He's really wearing that. Oh my god..." He trailed off.

Demyx laughed, more at Zexion's reaction than at Roxas, and Axel bolted up, staring at Roxas for a moment before grabbing his wrist and dragging him down the hall, and if the slamming door was any indication, into his bedroom.

Amused, Roxas smiled up at Axel. "So, you like it then, Axel?"

"Are you fucking kidding me, of course I like it." Axel said, "It's pretty much taking every ounce of my self control not to _jump_ you right now."

Roxas grinned, slowly walking backwards towards the bed, keeping his eyes locked on Axel's. When he felt the backs of his legs hit the bed, he stopped and licked his lips. "And if I said I wouldn't mind you jumping me right now?"

Axel smirked, turning the lock he'd bought for his door before pouncing.

XXXX

THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG.

So, we decided to make Halloween all one chapter, but it turned into… into… THIS. THIS THING. It took FOREVER to finish, and is the reason that we're almost completely caught up to written updates.

So, Jasmine and I are on vacation right now, so neither of us has internet access. I'm sure Jas mentioned this in her author's note for the last chapter, but I'm sending her this BEFORE that's posted, so I actually have no idea.

We're going to be writing and hopefully will not run out of updates before we write more, because… well, that would be bad. Very bad. We should speed up a little.

Uhh… yeah, so that's Halloween. If this was THIS huge, imagine Christmas? -cringes-


	21. Wait, I Can Do What!

Jasmine here. This and the next chapter are just a kind of wind-down from Hallowwen before we throw some major stuff at these characters! Enjoy!

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

"So, how'd it go?" Sora asked Kairi as he settled into his chair in the living room, a can of beer in his hand.

Kairi glanced at him over her own can, "How did what go?"

"Halloween with Xigbar." Sora said.

Kairi smiled, "It went well." she said, "He's really great." she took a sip of her beer, "What about _your_ Halloween? How's Riku doing?"

Sora chuckled, "He's doing good." he said, "Halloween went well."

"Good." Kairi grinned, "Is Roxas home yet? I need to know how his costume went over."

A knock on the door stopped Sora from having to answer, and he glanced up, calling, "COME IN!" before shaking his head at Kairi, "Nah, I haven't heard from him at all yet."

Riku walked into the house, shutting the door behind him and following the sound of voices into the living room. "Hey, Kairi. Hi, Sora." He grinned, moving to sit next to his boyfriend.

Sora's eyes fell on him and he didn't let him sit, grabbing his arm, "Be right back, Kairi!" and dragging him unceremoniously into the kitchen.

"Sora?" Riku asked, confused, once the dragging stopped and they were in the kitchen.

Sora caught his breath from the sudden decision to drag Riku in the kitchen before essentially launching himself at him, pressing his lips to his. A second later, he drew back, muttering, "Right. Wasn't dreaming. Good."

Riku stared at him, shocked. "Um, Sora?"

Sora glanced up, "Yeah?"

"What was that? I mean, I'm really really happy you did that, but I thought you weren't comfortable with this? I was kinda resigned to the fact we wouldn't be kissing for a while." Riku asked, studying Sora's face.

"It was a little weird last night," Sora admitted, "But I honestly haven't been able to _stop_ thinking about it, so... trust me. Free to do this _as often_ as you want."

Riku blinked. "Just to clarify - you're saying I can kiss you whenever I want? Even in front of people?"

Sora nodded, "As long as you don't mind me occasionally jumping you."

Putting his arms around Sora and pulling him closer, Riku stared at him. "Are you feeling okay? Have a fever? Drunk? Where's the guy who was babbling incoherently at the mere thought of kissing me?"

Sora pulled away, giving Riku a look, "I'm not drunk, and I wasn't babbling incoherently. It was a little much all at once, that's all." he said.

"I'm sorry." Riku said automatically, not wanting to push Sora into anything.

Sora stared at him for a minute, "Okay, now you're the one making no sense. What are you apologizing about?"

"You said last night was too much, too fast. So, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to push you into anything, I promise I can wait for you." Riku explained, slightly confused as to why Sora wasn't understanding what he was saying.

"And I'm telling you that while last night might have been too much, I'm perfectly fine with it today. In fact, quite enjoying it. I just gave you permission to kiss me whenever and wherever. Are you complaining?" Sora raised an eyebrow, amused.

"No! No. I just... I was not expecting this. At all. C'mere." Riku pulled him close, hugging him tightly.

Sora chuckled, hugging him back, "Now come on. We left Kairi alone. I'll go grab you a beer if you want one. They're still upstairs."

"Sure. Thanks." Before he could pull back, Riku leaned down and kissed him, grinning.

Sora smirked, before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Riku walked into the living room but didn't sit down yet. "Sorry, Kairi."

"No worries." Kairi smiled, "With how shifty Sora's been since I got here, I figured he needed to talk to you."

Riku grinned. "Oh really?"

Kairi laughed and nodded, as Sora entered the room, handing Riku his beer can.

Taking the can and quickly setting it down, Riku twirled Sora around and dipped him, kissing him soundly before righting him again and grinning like an idiot.

Sora rolled his eyes, sending Riku a smile and dragged him down onto the couch next to him, murmuring something about abusing his power (not that he was complaining.)

Riku slung his arm around Sora's shoulders, pulling him closer and smiling at Kairi. "So how was your Halloween?"

"My Halloween was good." Kairi smiled, "Spent it with Xigbar." she frowned a second later, "Do you know Xigbar? I never remember who knows who anymore."

Riku shook his head. "I don't know him, no. He your new boyfriend?"

"Yep." Kairi grinned, "He works at the Rusty Wrench."

"Ohh, okay. It's possible I've met him, then, since my car is always breaking down. Is he the blonde who really like mechanics or the owner who curses a lot or the other guy forced into doing the paperwork?" Riku asked.

Kairi laughed, "Incredibly accurate descriptions. He's the one always stuck doing paperwork."

"Ah. I've only talked to him once or twice. I usually deal with the blonde who likes his job, as he's the one always fixing my car." Riku grinned, squeezing Sora's shoulders.

"And yet no matter how many times he fixes it, it always breaks a week later." Sora reminded him.

"He says each part is slowly breaking and there's nothing he can do but give me temporary fixes." Riku said, shrugging. "I'm saving up for a new car, but until I have enough, I have to make this one last."

Sora chuckled.

Riku poked him in his side. "Hand me my drink? I can't reach it without letting go of you."

Sora grabbed it, handing it to him, as Kairi smiled at the two of them, "Well, I'll let you two have your alone time, then." she said, picking up her can, "Thanks for the beer, I'll come by some other time when you're least expecting me." she waved over her shoulder and left the house.

Riku took a sip, handing it back to Sora to put on the table and waited for him to let go of the drink before cupping his face and forcing him to look at him. "I wanna kiss you again."

Sora smirked playfully, "Then do it."

Pulling his boyfriend's face closer, Riku connected their lips, closing his eyes and sighing happily, completely content to stay kissing Sora forever.

XXXX

Zexion glanced up at Demyx as the blonde sighed. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Demyx said, "Just not a fan of math." he shrugged, looking up, "So tell me the truth-how long did it take to get all that gel and hairspray out?" he asked with a small smile.

Zexion glared at him half-heartedly. "Two hours."

Demyx chuckled, "It was worth it, though. It looked really good."

Grudgingly, Zexion nodded. "It did fit the costume. Thank you for your help. It was... fun."

Demyx smiled playfully, "I told you it would be."

Zexion smiled back, trying to ignoring the way his stomach flipped. "Um... What did you have planned for today?"

Demyx shrugged, "Nothing, really. You?"

"I was thinking of going to the park later, just to walk around before it gets too cold outside. Autumn is my favorite season." Zexion confessed, cheeks brightening a bit.

Demyx smiled, "That sounds like fun."

"When I was in college, I'd do most of my reading outside during the fall semester. Well, until... certain circumstances forced me to relocate to the library. But I loved sitting in the cool air, reading my books and hearing the world all around me..." Zexion murmured.

Demyx frowned at the way Zexion phrased his sentence, "Certain circumstances?"

Zexion blinked before blushing brightly. "I... it's nothing."

Demyx continued to frown, "Zex... talk to me."

"...I was 14 when I started college, and in four years I not only got my bachelor's degree, but two master's as well. I... well, I wasn't very popular. Most people saw me as some kind of freak. Axel and Larxene and Cloud helped me through a lot of tormenting in high school, but then Cloud got his job and Ax and Larx were busy with their own classes and I didn't want to bother them with my problems. They were the only friends I had and I... I didn't want to lose them by whining. I was bullied. Every day I would sit outside, and every day some group of students or another would entertain themselves by verbally and sometimes physically abusing me. I ended up hiding in the library, where the staff protected me until Ax or Larx could walk me out." Zexion stared at the table. He felt like his face was on fire. '_There goes that, now Demyx will never like me. He'll think I'm weak, a coward.'_

Demyx, not sure what else to do, reached over and grabbed Zexion's hand, squeezing it, and smiling softly.

Zexion jumped when he felt Demyx squeeze his hand and he looked up at him, confused. He lowered his gaze to their still-touching hands. "I don't understand."

"What?" Demyx asked, surprised.

"Why don't you... think I'm a freak? I was weak, a coward. I am weak. I couldn't stand up for myself, I had to hide behind Ax and Larx and Cloud, when he was visiting us. When they weren't there, I just sat there and took it - I couldn't stand up for myself, I... I'm pathetic." Zexion whispered harshly, blinking rapidly. His stomach really, really hurt and his eyes stung.

Demyx reached forward, grabbing Zexion's other hand and squeezing them both, "Zex, you are the farthest thing from pathetic. Those people that bullied you are the pathetic ones. The fact that they were picking on someone who couldn't fight back made _them_ the weak, cowardly ones. Don't _ever_ call yourself that."

Face still red with embarrassment, Zexion looked up at him. "I... thanks. That's pretty much what Ax, Larx, and Cloud would tell me. It's just hard to not give in to how the world sees you." He tried to smile but his stomach still hurt, so he settled for turning his hands over to squeeze Demyx's back.

"Well, if that's the way the world sees you, then the world's stupid." Demyx said bluntly, having apparently passed his philosophical quota for the day.

"Not everyone in the world is stupid and when intelligent people you look up to think you're some kind of freak, it's hard not to believe them." Zexion mumbled. "Don't worry, I don't mind not being normal. I just... well, whatever. I have friends now and no one bothers me anymore, so what's the point in reliving the past?" He shrugged, willing his blush to vanish and his stomach to settle.

"It's facing these things that helps you get stronger." Demyx smiled softly.

Pulling his hands away, Zexion pretended to study the lesson plans he was working on. Without looking up, he said: "You should get back to work. Let me know if you need help."

Demyx raised an eyebrow, "And we're back to homework just like that?"

He levelly looked up at Demyx. "What more is there to say?"

Demyx sighed, shaking his head, "Never mind." he mumbled, turning back to his homework.

Zexion watched him turn back to his work and guilt gnawed at him. Debating internally - _he was just being nice-stop pushing him away-he still wanted to talk-shut up, I don't want to talk_ - Zexion sighed, staring at his hands, still feeling the warmth from Demyx's grip. "When you're done... we could go to the park. Together."

Demyx glanced up, sending Zexion a small smile, "Sure."

"Okay." Zexion mumbled. "I... don't want you to hate me. So, don't be mad... please. I... um, bathroom. I'll be right back." Berating himself for always getting so worked up around the blonde, Zexion fled to the bathroom.

Demyx smiled after him, chuckling softly to himself, "For such a smart person, he really can be stupid," he mumbled under his breath, still smiling, and turned back to his math homework.

XXXX

Hayner sighed, weaving between the groups of people in the hallway and taking the stairs two at a time when he finally reached them. Pushing through the crowd, he stepped outside, taking the path to the cafeteria.

Hoping they had decent food today, he jumped a foot in the air when someone put their hand on his shoulder. "Shit!" He yelled, whipping around.

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Hi."

"Goddammit, Seifer, you trying to give me a heart attack?" Hayner yelled, face red.

"Just trying to get your attention." Seifer rolled his eyes.

Hayner sighed. "Right. Well. Hi."

"Hi."

Now it was Hayner's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You said that already. Can we walk and talk? I was going to grab lunch."

Seifer chuckled, "Sure."

Hayner nodded, resuming the walk to the cafeteria, Seifer walking alongside him. "So, ah... How are classes?"

Seifer shrugged, "Just can't wait for them to be over. Yours?"

"Same. Do anything for Halloween?" Hayner asked awkwardly.

"Hung with my roommate and his girlfriend for awhile." Seifer said, before smirking, knowing he was making this awkward for Hayner, "Yours?"

"Went to the haunted house with my friends, then just watched old horror movies." Hayner said with a shrug.

"Sounds like fun." Seifer nodded.

"Yeah." They were almost at the cafeteria. "You got class or wanna grab some food?"

Seifer glanced at his watch, "I've got nothing to do. Sure."

"Okay. Hey, you said you spent Halloween with your roommate, right? That mean you guys aren't fighting anymore and you're not sleeping in your car?" Hayner suddenly asked, just realizing this.

"Other roommate." Seifer laughed, "But yeah, no more sleeping in my car. Although I'm not sure we'll ever stop fighting, 'cause we do that constantly."

Grabbing the door to the building, Hayner held it open for Seifer. "How many roommates you got?"

"Just the two." Seifer shrugged, "You live at home, or you have your own place? How old _are_ you, anyway?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm at home with my sister. And I'm 19. How old are you?" Hayner asked, guessing 21 in his head.

"24." Seifer answered.

"Really?" Hayner asked, surprised. "You look younger." They got on line. "Hey, you have a meal plan or you need a guest swipe?"

"Uh, thanks I think." Seifer rolled his eyes, "Guest swipe would be cool, but I can pay if you don't want to."

"I never use mine, so you can have it." Hayner said, giving the girl at the register his card and repeating as much for her before leading Seifer in. "Whatcha want?"

Seifer shrugged, "You're a bundle of questions today."

Hayner blushed and moved onto the sandwich line. "Sorry." He muttered.

Seifer shook his head, laughing, "Didn't say I minded."

Hesitantly, Hayner smiled. "Okay. Then, I'll repeat: whatcha want to eat?"

"I think I'm gonna grab pizza. Want me to get us a table?" Seifer asked.

"Ah, sure. Thanks." Hayner said, nodding.

Seifer nodded, wandering over to get a slice of pizza before heading to find a table.

Hayner ordered his sandwich, thanking the worker once he was handed it before heading over to the drink station to grab a drink, scanning the tables and spotting Seifer sitting by the windows. Heading over, he sat down across from him. "Gross, how can you drink that stuff?"

Seifer looked down at his cup, then back at Hayner, "Water?"

"Tap water in this area is disgusting." Hayner grimaced, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "It's not that bad."

Hayner snorted. "So what do you do when you're not on campus?"

"Work at the Box Depot and try not to let my roommates kill me." Seifer said, completely serious, "Or their significant others, for that matter. Shit, why can't my roommates have relationships with normal people?"

Hayner chuckled. "It can't be that bad." He took another big bite of food.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Meet them and then tell me that."

Hayner grinned. "Maybe I have. You never know."

"Are you trying to ask me to describe them?" Seifer raised an eyebrow.

Hayner shrugged. "Sure. Who're your roommates and who're these crazy people they're dating?"

"Leon, he's the manager of The Hardware Store Place, is dating Cloud, who works at The Rusty Wrench with my other roommate Xigbar, who's dating a redhead named Kairi." Seifer rattled off.

"Hey, I know Kairi. Vaguely. She's always at Rox's house. She's not that strange." Hayner said. "Is Cloud a girl or a guy?"

Seifer laughed, "He's a guy. But don't ask that anywhere he might be listening or he's likely to kill you."

"I don't think I'll ever be around him but I'll keep that in mind." Hayner said.

Seifer chuckled.

Hayner stared out the window before glancing at Seifer. "Ah, thanks. For the other day, for sticking up for Rox. I didn't actually thank you for punching that asshole, so... yeah. Thanks."

Seifer shrugged, "No big deal."

Hayner nodded and took a drink. "So, you're bi?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Is that a question you typically ask people in idle conversation?"

"You implied it last time and I just wanted to know if you meant to imply it because it was true or if you were just messing with me because apparently it's hilarious to make me flustered." Hayner said with a light blush and a scowl.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "I didn't imply it just to mess with you, although it _is_ hilarious to make you flustered." he answered, "But I _was_ telling the truth, for the record."

Glaring a little, Hayner nodded. "Okay."

Seifer rolled his eyes again. "What about you, then?"

"What about me? Am I bi? No." Hayner said.

"I was more asking _what_ you considered yourself, but alright, that leaves me with fewer guesses." Seifer commented."

Hayner smirked. "Guess, then."

"Judging by the way you freaked out when I was teasing you the other day, I'm guessing you're straight." Seifer said, chuckling.

"I didn't freak out!" Hayner snapped. "I just... wasn't expecting it. But yeah, I'm straight. Although, it should be obvious I'm fine with people who are gay, since my best friend has been out and proud for practically his whole life."

Seifer chuckled, before smirking playfully at Hayner, "You could always be _Seifer_-sexual." he said, knowing it would probably piss the younger kid off.

"What?" Hayner yelled, jaw dropping and face heating up. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you _trying_ to get me flustered 'cause you find it funny or are you really sitting there, _flirting _with me?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "And if I said it was a mix of both?"

"You're crazy." Hayner muttered, blush darkening.

Seifer laughed, but didn't say anything.

"Did Roxas put you up to that?" Hayner demanded.

"I haven't even seen Roxas since the other day." Seifer rolled his eyes, "So no."

"Then if you know I'm straight, why bother flirting?" Hayner asked, once more bright red and now slightly confused.

"Mostly to make you flustered." Seifer shrugged, "But on the off chance it works, then I'm not gonna complain." He stood up, grabbing his plate and cup, "And on that note, I've gotta get to class. See you later."

Hayner numbly watched him leave. '_He... likes me?'_

XXXX

Roxas yawned as he knocked on the door in front of him.

"Coming!" Namine called, walking to the door and opening it. "Hello, Roxas."

He smiled. "Hey, Namine. Kairi home?"

"She is. Come on in." Namine answered. Roxas entered and closed the door behind him.

Namine led Roxas to the living, where Kairi was sitting watching TV.

"Hey Kairi." Roxas said with another yawn, plopping down into the nearest chair.

"Hey!" Kairi grinned, turning so that she could see him, "So... how'd it go?"

Roxas smirked. "The costume was a success. Here." Pulling out several pictures, he threw them at the redhead.

"Ooh, I want to see them, too!" Namine said, sitting down next to Kairi so they could both look at them.

Kairi grinned, flipping through the pictures, "I'm assuming Axel enjoyed it, then?" she asked, smirking at the blonde.

"Oh, yeah. He definitely did." Roxas smirked again before yawning.

"Long night?" Namine asked.

"You could say that. I don't think we slept at all." Roxas grinned, blushing lightly.

Kairi laughed, "Good for you, Rox."

"Yeah. Thanks again, Kairi. You're a genius. You guys can keep the pictures, I've got plenty. Larxene used a whole roll of film. I'm gonna go pass out now. Don't show Sora, okay? Bye." Roxas hauled himself up and headed out the door, walking to his house, intent on finding his bed and sleeping for a few weeks.

"Well. I'm glad he had fun, at least." Namine said with a shake of the head.

Kairi laughed, "Speaking of fun..." she said, smirking at her sister, "How was Disneyplace?"

Namine's face lit up. "Amazing. Wonderful. Perfect."

Kairi laughed, "Good, I'm glad you had fun." she smiled at her sister, "Though I'm still jealous. Pajama party with my boyfriend does not beat Disneyplace, but since it was Xigbar, I'm perfectly fine with it." she said, leaning back on the couch.

"You must really like him." Namine murmured, studying her sister's face. "Would you like to remeet Reno so you can have a chat with him like I had with Xigbar? Perhaps the four of us could have dinner? Make it a double date?"

Kairi chuckled, smirking rather triumphantly, "Sounds like fun."

"It'd have to be either an early or late dinner, to fit around Reno's work schedule." Namine warned.

Kairi laughed, "Got your boyfriend's schedule memorized?" she teased. "I don't even know Xig's schedule, and I hung out at the garage when our car was still getting fixed."

Namine rolled her eyes. "He's a bartender, Kairi. Bars are usually busiest at night. Plus, he told me when I was at the apartment for Riku that he works nights. And... yes, I have his schedule memorized."

Kairi chuckled.

Namine stuck her tongue out at her. "I'll call him later and find out when's a good time for him, then you can check with Xigbar. Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me." Kairi nodded, standing up and stretching, "Alright, I'd better go-if I skimp out on another English assignment my professor will shoot me."

Namine chuckled. "Good luck."

"Thaaaaaaaaaaanks." Kairi grinned, waving to her sister before heading up the stairs.

XXXX

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	22. Meet the Family

"So, when are you having this baby, exactly?" Reno glanced at his sister as she scrubbed a dish to use to cook them dinner.

She raised an eyebrow, "About eight months from now."

"That long?" Reno blinked.

Aerith grabbed the closest towel and swatted him with it. "Yes, that long. It takes nine months for a baby to grow before they're born. Did you pay _no_ attention during Science or Sex Ed?"

"Was paying attention to other things during Sex Ed." Reno winked.

Aerith swatted him again, "Shame on you—you have a girlfriend now."

"Yeah, but I didn't _then_." Reno rolled his eyes, ducking out of the way of another swat.

Riku snickered, "You're an idiot."

Zack grinned, "Hey, don't make fun of Reno—he can't help it if he couldn't get a decent girlfriend until now."

"Nah, but I got laid more often than either of you." Reno shrugged.

Aerith turned slightly red.

"Though you have to be getting _some _action." Reno said, eyeing his sister.

Aerith smacked him, foregoing the towel this time. "Oh, I see you were listening when they told you how babies are_ made_ at least."

Zack rolled his eyes and pulled his wife into a hug. "Hey, leave my pregnant wife alone." Over her shoulder, he smirked at Reno.

Riku snorted, "Reno? I don't think it's a good thing to brag about being a manwhore."

"Former." Reno corrected. "Working at a bar has its advantages. You meet lots of very willing women." He winked.

"You're not still doing that, are you? Remember what I said before—don't hurt Naminé. God, it's a miracle you don't have STDs. Wait, you don't, right?" Riku asked, straight faced.

"Hey, hey. Only I can pick on Reno." Zack said, moving between the two brothers.

Reno laughed, "It's fine, Zack—he's my brother and poses no threat to Nam and I. And I said former." He rolled his eyes, "Also, no, I don't have any STDs." He informed his younger brother.

"Okay, crowding the kitchen is not making cooking any faster." Aerith shooed them towards the kitchen door.

Zack clapped Reno on his shoulder, chuckling, "Whatever you say."

Riku shrugged, smiling at Aerith in apology before following the other two into the living room and plopping on the couch. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when his cell started ringing in is pocket. He pulled it out and answered. "Hello? Hey! Yeah. Yeah. No, it's true. Thanks. No, sure, I'm home. Okay, see you soon." To Zack and Reno, he said, "Nami's on her way over," putting his cell back in his pocket.

Reno smiled, "Cool." He said, completely unashamed that he'd been talking about his previously philandering ways just moments earlier. "Hey, she hasn't met you or Aerith since we started dating, has she?"

"Nah, but I knew you two would end up together." Zack grinned, "She's nice, cute—polite and yet more than capable of handling you."

Riku grinned, "I can agree with that."

Reno rolled his eyes, "I've been a perfect gentleman, I promise. She has no handling to worry about."

"Good. 'Cause I don't want either of you hurt by this." Riku said.

Zack nodded solemnly in one of his rare, serious moments.

"I have no intention of hurting her. I called in a favor with _Rude_ for god's sake." He rolled his eyes.

Zack whistled, "Damn. Smooth move, Reno. She love it?"

"I don't think she stopped smiling all weekend." Reno grinned.

Zack punched his shoulder lightly, smiling, "Way to go!"

"What? I don't get it—what favor did you get from Rude?" Riku asked, looking between the two, confused.

"You didn't notice the fact that I left Saturday morning and didn't come back until late last night?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

Riku shrugged, "I wasn't really home all weekend either, and you work nights. I thought we just kept missing each other. You saying you were out with Nami all weekend?"

"Yep." Reno grinned, still not answering his original question.

"Where?" Riku asked, getting annoyed.

Zack chuckled, "He's savoring his moment—you really think he'll just tell you? Trust me, it was a fun weekend for both of them."

Riku glared at Reno but gave in, nodding at Zack, "Fine, I'll just ask her when she gets here."

Reno grinned, "I'm fine with this."

There was a knock at the door and Zack sprang up, shouting, "I'll get it!" and racing to the door.

He threw it open and grinned at Naminé. "Hiya! We were waiting for you! C'mon in!"

Naminé smiled, stepping inside, "Hi Zack."

"Reno and Riku are in the living room, Aerith's cooking. I'll go tell her you're here!" Zack grinned, nudging Naminé towards the couch where Riku was sitting before he shut the door and bounded into the kitchen.

"Hi Reno, Riku." Naminé said, sitting next to Riku and grinning at them.

"Where did you two go all weekend?" Riku demanded.

Naminé's face lit up. "Reno took me to Disneyplace!"

Riku was shocked, "Disneyplace?" he echoed.

"Yes, and it was amazing! Thank you _again_, Reno. It was perfect." Naminé smiled.

Riku took one last look at her radiant face and nodded at Reno, as if to say well done.

Reno smirked triumphantly at his brother before smiling at Naminé, "And again, it was no big deal." He assured her.

She shook her head, but let it drop, "So, how're you both? Reno, when do you leave for work?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, "I thought you memorized my schedule?" he teased softly.

Naminé blushed lightly.

Riku turned to her, grinning, "Oh, really?"

Naminé hit him lightly, before pretending to glare at Reno, "I was just making conversation!"

Reno chuckled, "I'm leaving in about two hours." He told her, even though she knew the answer.

"In that case, I'm stealing your girlfriend—wow, that 's weird to say out loud—for a bit." Riku said, standing up and pulling Naminé up with him.

Naminé smiled and winked at Reno, "We'll be back in a bit!"

"Have fun." Reno laughed, heading into the kitchen to check on Zack and Aerith.

Zack glanced up from where he was washing vegetables at the counter, "Hey, where's your girlfriend? Your brother steal her from you?"

"Yeah, but I had her all weekend, so he can spend some time with his best friend." Reno chuckled, "Need any help, Ri?"

"Nope, Zack and I have it about covered. And what do you mean, you 'had her all weekend'?" Aerith raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"Get this—Reno here spirited Naminé away for a fun and romantic weekend at Disneyplace!" Zack announced gleefully.

"Really?" Aerith asked, surprised.

"Is it _that_ hard to believe I'm actually serious about a girl?" Reno asked his sister.

"Well, no." Aerith shook her head, "But you've never been…" she paused, "This interested this early."

"I like her." Zack decided, "I think they're good together."

Aerith glanced at her husband, before looking back at her brother, "Congrats on your marriage." She joked.

Reno raised an eyebrow.

"Babe, don't scare him, now." Zack chuckled, hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek.

Aerith chuckled, leaning into her husband, "He just has an uncanny power to predict future relationships." She explained, "I mean, Wakka and Lulu were married within two months, remember?" she glanced back at Zack.

Zack grinned, "Yeah. They were _perfect_ for each other… and I did say that early on… But I don't know what Naminé's like—if she's looking to get married. Either way, I think Reno and her will definitely be together for a long time—honey, they went to _Disneyplace_."

Aerith giggled, and Reno shook his head, "Let me know if you need help cooking." He chuckled, escaping the room.

Zack laughed and shook his head.

XXXX

Riku led Namine into his bedroom, closing the door behind them.

"So, Kairi tells me you and Sora kissed?" Namine asked with a grin.

Riku smiled. "Several times, actually."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Namine hugged him.

Riku chuckled, hugging her back. "Thanks. And hey, Disneyplace?"

Namine giggled. "Your brother certainly knows how to impress."

Riku laughed. "Honestly, I don't think he's ever gone all out like this before."

Namine smiled softly and leaned in, confessing: "I really like him."

"He likes you too. And this is so weird for me to talk about! I mean, you're my best friend and he's my brother. It's just weird."

Namine nodded. "You don't have a problem with it?"

"No, no! It's just strange, that's all. I don't want either of you to get hurt." Riku said.

"We won't. I'm being careful, I promise." Namine said.

"Good." Riku said, sitting on the bed. Namine joined him.

"So, tell me about your first kiss!" She demanded.

Riku grinned. "Halloween, on his couch. I told him I would be fine waiting for him, but I wanted to kiss him. And he said okay. So… I did."

"Was it amazing? How'd he react?" Namine asked.

"Of course it was amazing – this is Sora we're talking about. He was a little freaked at first – I love that I reduce him to babbling – but he got into it. He told me to kiss him  
whenever because he'd definitely be kissing me whenever he wanted." Riku explained.

"That's awesome! I knew he would realize how perfect you two are together eventually! And you made him babble?" Namine giggled.

Riku's grin widened. "Yeah. It was cute."

"I bet." Namine agreed.

"I really think this is going to work." Riku said.

Namine nodded. "I think so too."

Riku stood, pulling her up with him. "C'mon, let's get back out there before my brother thinks I've kidnapped you."

Namine shook her head. "I came to visit you. Reno knows we're close friends."

Riku studied her. "I think you guys might just work after all."

Namine rolled her eyes. "We're both adults, Riku. But yes, I think we'll definitely have fun."

Riku smiled, hugging her once more before leading her back out to the rest of his family.

XXXX

Xigbar walked into the kitchen to grab a drink, but paused when he saw Leon sitting at the table. "Hey, I didn't know you were home."

"Have the day off work." Leon shrugged, "Not hanging with that supposed new girl of yours?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

Xigbar rolled his eyes, "Kairi's got homework to catch up on. And yes, she's my girlfriend. And I'll tell you what I told Seifer—I think she's the one. Actually, I pretty much know it."

"How long have you known this chick?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

Xigbar winked at him, "A week."

Leon rolled his eyes, "Hard to trust in your prediction about the longevity of your relationship when you don't have the time to back it up." He said.

"What's with the stuffy language?" Seifer raised an eyebrow as he walked into the kitchen.

"Unlike some people, I have a _real_ job?" Leon asked, taking any opportunity to jab at Seifer.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "You've used that one too many times, man."

"Believe what you want, but here's another thing to fight about—which one of you wants to be my best man?" Xigbar asked, straight faced.

"Ask us when you propose." Leon answered, rolling his eyes.

Seifer walked over to the fridge, grabbing a drink before plopping into a chair at the table.

Xigbar snorted, shaking his head and grabbing his own drink, joining them at the table. "Where's Blondie?"

"Hanging with his roommates." Leon answered, not skipping a beat.

"I knew forcing you two together was a good idea." Seifer smirked.

"Yes, until you went too far." Leon reminded him.

"The stripper wasn't us." Seifer protested.

"Larxene wouldn't have _called_ Zack if you two hadn't _started_ the pranking in the first place."

"Whatever, you're with him now, and you obviously like him. What about you? Still single?" Xigbar asked Seifer.

"Working on someone." Seifer smirked, "Looks like a challenge. I'm excited."

Xigbar groaned, letting his head fall on the table.

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Straight or lesbian this time?"

"Straight." Seifer answered, "Remember my stalker?"

"The kid with the weird name who you punched a dude for?" Xigbar asked, raising his head.

"Yeah, him." Seifer nodded.

"When did the stalker become a not-stalker?" Leon asked, "I apparently haven't hung out with you two in awhile."

"Lemme sum this up—Seifer here defended his stalker after the stalker apologized for stalking. _What_ is this kid's name?" Xigbar explained to Leon, directing his question to Seifer.

"Hayner." Seifer answered.

"That's no weird than _your_ name, Xig." Leon informed him.

"Xigbar—fixes cars. Hayner—is a lamer." Xigbar grinned.

Seifer smacked his head on the table, sighing, as Leon reached over and smacked Xigbar with the newspaper he'd been reading.

"What the hell? It was _funny_, c'mon." Xigbar said, rubbing his head.

"You're ridiculous." Seifer grumbled.

Leon sighed, going back to the previous conversation topic, "Try not to _kill_ the kid, Seifer."

"I make no promises." Seifer shrugged, lifting his head.

"How straight is he?" Xigbar asked.

"Straight enough." Seifer answered, "But his best friend is gay, so he's at least open to the idea when it's not _him_."

Xigbar snorted, "Good luck with that. Try not to break him when you eventually get bored and leave him. We don't want another repeat of last time."

"I'll be more careful." Seifer promised.

"We don't need another girl living in the tree outside the building, waiting for Seifer to walk out so she can _kill_ him, you mean?" Leon asked Xigbar, apparently never wanting Seifer to forget "last time."

Xigbar grinned, "Yeah. Damn that chick was annoying."

"Not to mention _trying to __kill__ me_." Seifer grumbled.

"It's your own fault." Leon rolled his eyes, "She had a steady girlfriend before she met you."

"Don't even." Xigbar said when Seifer opened his mouth to protest, "Just be careful with this one."

"I already said I would." Seifer rolled his eyes. "It's not like the guy before her tried to kill me."

"He did run his car into that tree, though." Leon reminded him.

Xigbar winced, "It took Cloud a whole _week_ to fix that one."

"Well, he's been out of the hospital for like three months now." Seifer said, pushing the comments off, "I'm sure he's fine now."

"Do you even remember his name?" Leon asked.

"Nope."

"You're kinda a dick, huh?" Xigbar asked, "Scratch that—you are a dick. It's all you think with, at least."

Seifer shrugged, "Won't deny that."

Leon sighed, "I'm not calling the police this time."

"If he's smart about it this time, no one will have to call the cops." Xigbar said with a pointed glare at Seifer.

"I can't expect you two to believe that I'm going to be more careful this time, but I _am_." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"Oh wow—best friends not believing you when you're serious about something? Sucks, doesn't it?" Xigbar said, sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm _not_ the only manwhore in this apartment." Seifer rolled his eyes.

Xigbar snorted, "At least I've decided on a gender to chase after."

"I'm not picky." Seifer shrugged, "I have twice as many people to chase after."

"Sure, sure. You know, I may have had a few very short relationships, but no one's tried to kill me. And I'm not doing that anymore, anyway. Red's a handful all on her own and damn near perfect—why would I screw myself by messing around?"

"Well, if she has a nickname, that means you're at least slightly more serious about this one." Leon commented.

"_Finally_. You need to meet her. She's already met Cloud—I'm sure you'll see her 'round the shop. Unless you want a special meeting scheduled?" Xigbar asked, only half serious.

Leon rolled his eyes, "Somehow, I don't think I need to give her the threatening talk."

"Asshole, I just meant it'd be nice if my roommates didn't hate my girlfriend, especially since she's going to be around a lot." Xigbar rolled his eyes.

"I don't hate her." Seifer laughed, "She was nice."

"Sure, Xig." Leon chuckled, "I was joking. I'd love to meet her."

"Good, 'cause she should be here soon." Xigbar said with a grin.

"I thought she was working on homework." Leon raised an eyebrow.

"She had to drop her sister off somewhere and was planning on swinging by on her way to get her." Xigbar explained.

"Ah." Leon nodded, "Alright, sounds good."

"Gee, thanks for the permission." Xigbar joked. More seriously, "Be nice, okay?"

"I'm always nice." Leon answered.

"You're _never_ nice." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm never nice to _you_, there's a difference."

Xigbar laughed, "Old. Married. Couple."

Leon went to retort, but was interrupted by the doorbell.

Xigbar left them to their bickering and went to open the door. He grinned at Kairi.

"Hey Red. Thanks for swinging by" He said.

"No problem." Kairi smiled at him.

Xigbar closed the door behind her and slung his arm around her, guiding her to their kitchen area.

"How goes the homework?"

Kairi groaned, "I don't want to talk about it. I hate English."

He squeezed her sympathetically as they stopped near the table.

"Right, well, you met Seifer. This is my other roommate, Leon. He's Cloud's boyfriend." Xigbar said, making introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Kairi nodded, "The old married couple, right?" she asked Xigbar with a small smirk.

Xigbar laughed, "You got it, Sass."

Leon rolled his eyes before speaking, "It's nice to meet you." He glanced at Xigbar, "Two nicknames?" he asked.

"At least four, actually. She doesn't mind, right Red?" Xigbar asked, smiling at her.

Kairi laughed, but shook her head, "Not at all."

Leon glanced at Seifer for a moment.

"When did you tell Naminé you'd pick her up?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi glanced at her watch, "Fifteen minutes, so I'll have to leave in about ten."

"Okay. Did she have fun at Disneyplace?" Xigbar asked.

"I don't think she stopped smiling once." Kairi said, "By the way, would you be willing to go on a double date with Nam and her boyfriend?"

"Sure. Just lemme know when, Red. Gotta get in as many points as I can with your sister, right?" Xigbar smirked.

Kairi laughed, "She's not as scary as she seems."

Xigbar looked at her, "Sass, you really think I'm gonna chance _anything_ here? Just lemme know when and where."

Kairi laughed again, "Well, when's your next day off?"

"Thursday." Xigbar answered.

"And are you free?" Kairi asked.

"Of course, Red. I've always got time for you." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi smiled, "Awesome. It'll have to be before Reno leaves for work, since he works nights. Unless you want to venture out for a date in the middle of the night."

"Whichever you and your sister decide on is fine with me—I'm not scared of the dark, Red." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi rolled her eyes, but didn't comment.

"All right, you should get going. Do me a favor and text me when you're home, Sass?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi smiled, "Sure. Shouldn't be more than a half hour. I'll call you later tonight, so we can work out date details."

"Sounds good. I'll walk you out to your car." Xigbar said.

"Sure." Kairi smiled.

"Be right back." Xigbar said to his strangely quiet roommates before guiding Kairi out of the apartment and down to her car. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Drive safe, Red."

Kairi smiled at him, "I will." She murmured, "Call you later."

Xigbar smiled back, opening her door for her, "You got it." He watched her drive away before going back to his apartment, plopping down at the table and looking between the two.

Seifer spoke up, "You two didn't act like that _last_ time you were here! You're fucking serious about this girl!"

Xigbar snorted, "Dumbass, I _told _you I'm serious about her!"

"You _knew_ I didn't believe you, so don't 'dumbass' me." Seifer grumbled.

"Whatever. Leon, you're awfully quiet over there." Xigbar said, rolling his eyes.

"Have you _ever_ given someone four nicknames?" Leon asked him in response.

Xigbar thought for a moment, "Not unless you count you guys."

"And you've known her for a week."

"Yeah." Xigbar shrugged.

Leon sighed, "Try not to get in over your head."

"I don't know whether to be insulted or impressed that you care." Xigbar said, thoughtfully.

Leon rolled his eyes.

"Well, get used to seeing her around, 'cause I'm dead serious about this—I could really fall for her." Xigbar said, standing and dumping the rest of his drink down the sink.

"Well, good for you, then, man." Seifer said.

"Yeah, maybe Seifer will follow suit eventually and we'll have less lawsuits to deal with." Leon commented.

Xigbar snorted, "Unlikely. I'll be in my room."

"See you." Leon nodded, turning back to his paper.

Xigbar mock-saluted them before heading to his room, firmly closing the door behind him.

XXXX

Kairi walked in through Sora's front door without knocking after dropping Naminé off at their house and texting Xigbar.

"Sora?" she called out.

"In the kitchen!" Sora called back.

Kairi headed that way, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey." Sora nodded.

"Hey." Kairi smiled.

"Want a sandwich?" Sora asked.

"Nah, I'm good." Kairi said, "I'm gonna go find something on TV."

Sora idly nodded and Kairi headed into the living room and plopped on the couch to find a TV show. She found something a minute later as Sora walked in with his sandwich and sat next to her.

Roxas ran down the stairs and walked into the living room, pulling a jacket on, "Oh, hey Kairi. I didn't know you were here. Sora, Pence is here to pick me up—we're going to Hayner's 'cause he's freaking out about his ex-stalker flirting with him."

"Oh, kay." Sora nodded.

Kairi glanced over, "_What_ is he freaking out about?" she asked Roxas.

"Hayner's ex-stalker—not a real stalker, you know Hayner, he's paranoid—flirted with him, apparently, and Hayner is the worst closet-case gay I've ever met, so naturally, he believes he's straight even though he's already called this guy hot and is now freaking out. I'll be back later." Roxas explained before waving and slipping out the door.

Kairi blinked, "One of the weirder stories I've heard."

"Tell me about it." Sora shook his head, sighing, "Everything out of that kid's mouth has been weird lately."

Kairi laughed, "He's Roxas, though. I know you're not worried."

"Nah, I'm not." Sora chuckled.

"Does your mom know Roxas has a boyfriend?" Kairi asked, "Come to think of it, does your mom know that _you_ have a boyfriend."

"Nope." Sora shrugged, "She's been really busy with work."

"Well, I would be surprised if she didn't see you and Riku coming, because everyone else did. But she should probably meet Axel eventually." Kairi said, leaning back on the couch and snatching a chip off of Sora's plate.

"I'm sure she will." Sora said, "But you know my mom."

Kairi nodded, "Yes, I do. But I also think you should tell her."

Sora sighed, "I will, I will. So, how are you and Xigbar?"

"Pretty good." Kairi grinned, "We're going on a double date with Naminé and Reno soon. Speaking of, I need an idea of where this date should happen. Have anywhere to suggest?"

"Ooh!" Sora perked up, "The new Chinese place on the edge of town! Dragonfly Soy Sauce!" he said, "I brought Riku there, it was great."

"Awww, look at you, all grown up and bringing your boyfriend on dates." Kairi cooed.

Sora smacked her with a couch pillow, "Shut up, Kairi."

Kairi laughed, "Thanks for the suggestion, though, I'll keep it in mind."

XXXX

Hayner paced back and forth across his living room, ignoring his sister who was sitting in one of the chairs. The doorbell rang and he ran to the door, pulling it open.

"Thank god! Took you long enough!" he grumbled.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "So, what exactly happened?" he asked as he and Pence passed Hayner and headed into the house, shutting the door behind them.

"I told you already!" Hayner exclaimed.

Pence guided them into the living room and sat down, "Tell us again."

Hayner glared but Roxas just glared back from his seat on the couch until Hayner started pacing again.

"I ran into Seifer on my way to grab lunch and he wasn't doing anything, so he came with me. We were talking about stupid shit, really—the type of crap you ask people you didn't really know—when I asked him if he was bi."

"You seriously just up and asked him that?" Roxas asked, incredulous.

"You're the one who said he was!" Hayner snapped.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "That doesn't mean you can randomly ask the guy!"

"What'd he say?" Pence asked.

"He said he was and asked about me, so I told him I'm straight. And do you know what the bastard said?" Hayner asked.

"Obviously not." Roxas said.

"Don't be a dick, I'm having a crisis here!" Hayner snapped, looking panicked.

"Okay, okay. Just spit it out." Roxas said.

"He said maybe I should be Seifer-sexual!" Hayner exclaimed.

Olette, who had previously been pretty much silently listening to her brother's story started laughing.

"It's not funny!" Hayner yelled. "He flat out told me he was _flirting_ with me!"

"Calm down. So what? Let him flirt." Roxas said.

"I'm straight! I don't want some random dude _flirting_ with me!" Hayner protested.

"Even though you think he's hot." Roxas pointed out.

"That's not the point!" Hayner yelled angrily.

"Whoa, you told Rox he's hot?" Pence asked, confused.

"Yes! But I didn't mean it like that! Arg, this is so messed up!" Hayner collapsed into the nearest chair and let his head fall into his hands.

"Hayner, _relax_. Seifer's just probably trying to get a rise out of you. Even if he's serious about flirting, just ignore it. Or," Roxas smirked, "you could flirt back and mess with him back."

Hayner glanced up at the smaller blonde, "I can't do that—I'm straight."

Roxas snorted, "So? It'd be fun, and I bet Seifer wouldn't see it coming."

"I'm not into _guys_, Rox…" Hayner protested.

"Fine, then learn to ignore him. He'll give up eventually." Roxas said.

"Yeah, it'll be fine, Hayner." Pence said reassuringly.

"You think so?" Hayner asked hopefully.

Olette giggled, deciding to let her brother's two friends handle this one. After all, she only encouraged Hayner's strange behavior.

"Definitely." Pence said.

"Don't blow up the situation and it will." Roxas said.

"I don't blow up situations!" Hayner protested.

"Stalking." Roxas said straight-faced.

"That was _one _time!" Hayner said.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Are you okay now?"

"I guess… I'll just ignore it." Hayner said, a little uncertainly.

"Right. You wanna be friends with him, right?" Roxas asked.

Hayner nodded "We practically have the same schedule. And he can't be that bad of a person if he punched that guy."

"What guy?" Pence asked.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Seifer punched a bigot on campus who was calling Hay and me faggots."

"Jerk! I hope Seifer broke his jaw." Pence said, not liking anyone making fun of his friends.

"Yeah, he definitely bruised it. He's pretty strong." Hayner said.

Roxas smirked, "Now that that is settled, wanna watch a movie or something?"

"Sure." Pence said.

"Yeah. Thanks, guys." Hayner said.

"No problem, Hay. We're your best friends! Olette, movie?" Roxas asked.

"I'm always up for a movie." Olette grinned.

"Great. Let's find something." Roxas said, standing and going over to the DVD stack by the TV.

XXXX

"On your right." Larxene muttered to the redhead sitting next to her. A few button presses, and his character blasted Demyx's character off the arena top.

"Hey!" Demyx said, surprised.

Axel smirked, not apologizing, and he and Larxene's characters both turned their sights on Zexion's.

"Hit him with your cannon!" Demyx said, trying to give Zexion advice, "Preferably in the face."

"Hey!" Axel pouted.

"Serves you right." Demyx grumbled.

Axel rolled his eyes and Larxene laughed. "You stand no chance. _Maybe_ you could beat us if Cloud was on your team. _Maybe_."

"I still don't see the point in this!" Zexion snapped, randomly mashing buttons on his controller, "I _told_ you you should have waited for Cloud to finish showering to play this." He said to Demyx, ignoring the death of his character.

"I wanted to play with you." Demyx shrugged.

Larxene and Axel high fived, "You guys want to play again?" Axel asked with a smirk.

Zexion glanced at Demyx, "You still want to play, don't you?"

"Play what?" Cloud asked, walking into the living room and running his fingers through his damp hair.

"Cloud! Perfect! Play on Demyx's team so he can actually play for more than two seconds." Zexion said.

"We're playing Death Fight 12." Larxene smirked, "And Scarlet and I are kicking ass, as usual."

Demyx sent a pleading look at Cloud, wanting to shove those words down Larxene and Axel's throats.

Cloud grinned, "Gimme your controller and scoot over, Zex."

Zexion gladly handed over the controller and moved closer to Demyx in order to make room for Cloud.

"You ready, Dem?" Cloud asked, sitting with the controller.

"Definitely." Demyx smirked.

Axel tightened his grip on his controller and Larxene hit the try again button to restart the battle.

Immediately, Cloud knocked Axel's character out. "Keep him down, Dem! I've got Larx."

"Fuck you, Cloud!" Axel grumbled, "Lightning bug, dive!"

Larxene's character dove to the ground to avoid Cloud's, and then rolled, knocking Cloud's character into Demyx's, sending the two flying backwards and allowing Larxene enough time to revive Axel.

"What's that blinking?" Zexion asked, pointing at the flashing near Demyx's character's health stats.

Cloyd grinned, "New attack. Go for it, Dem!" He charged Axel and Larxene's characters, furiously pushing buttons.

Demyx grinned, pushing the combination that would trigger his new attack. A blast of energy from his character sent Axel's character flying off the platform much in the same way Axel had blasted him.

"Shit!" Larxene cursed.

Zexion grinned when he saw Demyx's huge grin.

"Yes! Now, we can take her!" Cloud said, charging Larxene's character. Within seconds, she was following Axel off the platform. "Yeah! Take that!"

"You know what, fuck you two." Larxene grumbled.

Axel laughed, "Looks like we need a less predictable strategy next time, Sparky." He said, "Good job Demyx, Cloudy."

Cloud rolled his eyes at the nickname but grinned, "Thanks—it was a good fight."

Zexion smiled at Demyx, "You won."

"Well, Cloud did most of it." Demyx chuckled, "Thanks, Cloud."

"No problem." Cloud said, standing, "Anyone want to drink?"

Zexion moved away from Demyx so they weren't as squished anymore, "No thanks."

"Beer please." Larxene said, switching the game into training mode as Axel put his controller down and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm good." Demyx nodded.

Cloud nodded and went to grab the drinks, returning moments later and chucking a beer can at Larxene, sitting in one of the empty chairs instead of trying to squish onto the couch again and opening his own drink.

Larxene snatched her beer out of the air, putting her controller down so she could open it.

"So, what have you been up to, Cloudy?" Axel asked, "Feels like I haven't seen you around in awhile."

Cloud shrugged. "Work, hanging at Leon's. Nothing special."

"How are you and Leon doing?" Zexion asked, hoping it was going good.

Cloud smiled, "Everything's good."

"That's good." Demyx smiled.

"Leon's been less of a crab at work lately, so something must be going well." Larxene commented.

"That's good, I guess. We went to Zack's on Halloween and they got along okay, surprisingly. Oh, did I tell you guys Aerith's pregnant? Zack's gonna be a dad." Cloud said with a shake of the head.

"Seriously?" Larxene leapt forward, "Good for him!" she cheered, "Tell him congrats for me and not to do anything reckless or else his wife might snap."

Cloud chuckled, "I will. But I think Zack'll be a good dad."

Zexion smiled, "That's wonderful."

"Yeah, definitely." Demyx smiled, "I mean, I don't know Zack, but tell him congrats."

Cloud nodded and smiled at Dem, "He's an old friend of mine."

"Ah, okay." Demyx nodded. He'd been fitting in with the four of them a lot more easily lately, but there were still some things he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to keep track of.

"So what about you guys? Anything new? How's Roxas?" Cloud asked.

"Roxas is really good." Axel grinned.

"Well, the fact that he's still around must say something." Larxene smirked.

Axel hit her with a pillow, "Shut it, Sparky."

Larxene stuck her tongue out at him as Demyx laughed.

Cloud grinned, "Well, good for you."

"Thanks." Axel smiled.

XXXX

The last bell rang and Zexion watched his last class bolt for the door. He sighed and started packing up his things—it was a gloomy day and the steady rain had made most of the kids feel pent up and anxious, which had meant a long day for Zexion trying to teach them things they obviously weren't interested in.

There was a small knock on the door and someone entered the classroom.

"Marluxia. What are you doing here?" Zexion asked, surprised to see the man.

"I was just coming by to thank you for subbing in for Mr. Xaldin and let you know that he will be returning to school starting tomorrow morning." Marluxia said.

"Of course. Thank you." Zexion said with a nod, shouldering his backpack.

"Thank you." Marluxia nodded, ducking out the door and leaving.

Zexion glanced around one more time to make sure he had everything before leaving as well and heading down the halls. He made it to the entrance and dashed to his car, climbing in and throwing his pack into the back just as Demyx climbed into the passenger's side.

Demyx smiled at Zexion, "Hey, how was your day?"

"It was tedious. This type of weather tends to make students anxious. Oh, and Mr. Xaldin is returning, starting tomorrow." Zexion said as he started the car and headed for home.

Demyx frowned, "You mean you won't be teaching anymore?"

"That's right. I can still drive you to school and help with homework, though. Or you're welcome to borrow my car." Zexion said.

"Oh." Demyx frowned, "Right. Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, how was your day?" Zexion asked.

Demyx shrugged, "Not bad, I guess."

"That's good then. Did you get a lot of work to do?" Zexion asked, glancing at the blonde when he pulled up to a stop sign.

Demyux glanced back, "Not… that much, no." he shook his head, "Teachers were surprisingly easy on me today, and if I know Mr. Xaldin, he won't collect the homework you assigned, so I don't have to do it, right?" he joked.

"I've been recording my lessons and assignments in my grade book, which I left for him, so he very well may collect it." Zexion informed him.

Demyx laughed, "I was joking, Zex. I'll do it."

"Oh. Okay." Zexion blushed lightly, concentration on the road—they were almost home.

Demyx chuckled again, settling back in his chair and keeping his thoughts occupied.

Zexion pulled into the driveway and parked, turning off the car. Grabbing his bag from the back, he reached for his door. "Ready?"

"Yep." Demyx said, grabbing his own bag and opening his door.

Zexion hurried to the door, making his way inside and closing the door behind Demyx, wiping his wet hair out of his face.

Demyx laughed, "I love rain."

Zexion stared at him, "It is the most annoying type of weather. At least snow is pretty."

Demyx chuckled, "Yeah, but haven't you ever gone outside during a rainstorm and just like…" he paused, trying to word his sentence right, "Played in it?"

"No." Zexion said shortly, taking his bag to the kitchen and setting it on one of the chairs.

Demyx followed him in, tossing his own bag down, and grabbed Zexion's arm, "Come on." He said, dragging him towards the back door.

"What are you doing?" Zexion demanded, trying to pull out of his grip.

"We're going outside." Demyx answered not letting him go and dragging him through the doors. Once outside of the house, he left Zexion under the overhang and walked out into the rain.

"Demyx. It's _raining_." Zexion stressed.

"And?" Demyx laughed, walking towards him, thoroughly drenched by this point.

Zexion took a step back towards the door, "You'll get sick. Let's go inside, all right?"

"I'm not going to get sick." Demyx rolled his eyes. He walked towards Zexion, taking both of the older boy's hands in his own and slowly stepping backwards, "Come on, it's fun."

Zexion blushed, staring at their hands. He didn't notice he was moving forwards until the first drops hit him. "I don't understand how this is fun—it's _wet_."

"So?" Demyx asked, "It's fun."

Zexion stood in the rain, holding Demyx's hands. After a few minutes, he looked up into his eyes. "Show me."

Demyx laughed, and started running.

XXXX

"_What _happened to _you_ two?" Larxene raised an eyebrow as her two youngest roommates walked into the living room from the backyard, covered pretty much head to toe in mud and soaking wet.

"We played in the rain." Zexion said, sounding happy.

Larxene glanced at Zexion, then at the grinning Demyx, and then back at Zexion.

"Oh." She said, not sure if she'd believe it if the proof wasn't in front of her. "Well, that sounds like fun."

Zexion glanced at Demyx, "It… was."

Demyx grinned at him, "I told you."

Zexion looked down at himself, "I'm filthy. I need to shower and change."

"Yeah, me too." Demyx laughed.

"One of you can use my bathroom." Larxene shrugged, "Better than being covered in mud while waiting for the other to be done.

Zexion nodded, "Thank you."

Larxene just nodded back, plopping into a chair, "Glad you had fun."

XXXX

Zexion smacked Cloud's alarm block, turning it off. He was still sharing rooms with Cloud, although they had managed to fit a futon in the room so the blonde wasn't sleeping on the floor.

Yawning and climbing out of bed, Zexion quickly changed and headed to the kitchen. They had never decided if he was going to give Demyx a ride to school or if the blonde would just take his car.

"Morning, Axel." Zexion said, grabbing a glass of milk and sitting at the table with the redhead.

"Hey." Axel nodded, "Thought you weren't teaching anymore?" he asked.

"I'm not, but Demyx still needs a way to get to school." Zexion said, glancing at the clock with a frown, "He should've been up by now."

Axel glanced up from his food, "Alright, well, maybe his alarm didn't go off." He stood up, "Come on, let's go check."

Zexion nodded, heading to his—Demyx's—room and knocking on the door, Axel standing right behind him. They waited, but there was no answer. Knocking harder, Zexion called, "Demyx?"

Axel frowned, trying to open the door. It was unlocked and flew right open to reveal an empty room.

"Demyx?" Zexion said, frowning and stepping into the room, "Where are you?"

Axel walked in after him, scanning the room. Demyx's things were gone but there was a note sitting on top of the dresser. Grabbing it, he scanned it, cursing lightly.

"Axel?" Zexion asked, fear gathering in his stomach.

Axel handed him the note, walking quickly over to the door and shouting down the hall, "LARXENE! GET YOUR ASS UP!"

There was some banging and then loud cursing before Larxene slammed the door to her room open and glared at Axel, "_What?_ I was sleeping!" One look at Axel's face, though, and she frowned, "Axel?"

Axel left Zexion's room, "Stay with Zex? Dem is gone. I'm gonna call Cloud and head to try and find him, but I don't want to leave Zexion alone."

Larxene nodded, "Sure. What happened?"

"Read the note he left." Axel said, "Thanks Larx." He muttered, grabbing for his cell phone and running for it as Larxene entered Zexion's bedroom.

Zexion sat on the bed and skimmed the note, ignoring Axel's yelling. Then his stomach dropped and he read it again, slowly and carefully.

_Zexion,_

_I'm guessing by now you've noticed I left and didn't say anything. I… I was talking to Yuffie a few days ago, and finally told her where I'd been staying for the past few days._

_And then she warned me that you could get arrested if caught 'harboring a minor', meaning that if my parents got mad or worried enough, they could get you and your roommates arrested for kidnapping me. I couldn't stay here and let you all get hurt or arrested just so I wouldn't have to deal with my parents…_

_I don't know how obvious it was, but I have feelings for you. I wasn't sure if you figured it out. I wish things would have worked out, but the way things are with my family right now… I'm not willing to risk __your__ safety for __my__ happiness._

_Maybe once I turn 18 I can come back, and we can pick up where we left off… If you ever forgive me for leaving without telling you._

_I __tried__, Zex. I could never get up the courage. Please forgive me. I'm __sorry__._

_Love, Demyx._

Zexion stared at the paper in his hands. He read it again. And again.

'_He's… gone? But… He went back to that house! We would have—I would have-! He just left? How…? Doesn't he trust me? Why? I don't… But we…'_

His hands started shaking and tears gathered at his lashes. His hands… _'We held hands yesterday. He… likes me. He likes me? He __likes__ me. He likes me, he likes me, He lo-'_

Zexion sprang up at the sound of someone entering the room. "Demyx!" he cried, whirling to face the door.

His stomach dropped at the sight of Larxene. _'Not Demyx. Demyx left. He's gone. Gone.'_

"Gone." Zexion croaked, sitting heavily on the bed.

Larxene stepped towards Zexion. "Zex?" she spoke softly, sitting next to him.

Zexion tried to clear his throat but only managed to make this watery, pathetic sound. He stared at the letter even though his shaking prevented him from reading it. He knew what it said. Demyx—

"Larx." Zexion choked out, "Demyx… he… he, he left!"

Larxene put her hand on his shoulder, "Zex…" she murmured.

Zexion dropped the paper and covered his face as he started to cry, shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs.

Larxene pulled him into a hug, holding him close to her. Positioning the letter so she could read it over Zexion's shoulder, she scanned it.

Zexion leaned into her, crying harder. He tried to talk, but the words caught in his throat. He started breathing shallowly, taking faster and faster breaths. _'He's gone, he's gone, he's gone, he's gone, Demyx, gone!'_


	23. Cloud Takes Charge

Cloud laughed as Cid smacked Xigbar on the head with the paperwork. His phone rang in his pocket.

"It's Cloud." He said, still laughing a little as he answered it.

_"Hey, it's Axel."_ Axel said, sounding a little distressed and trying to do something.

Cloud's laughter died. "Axel? Did something happen?"

Xigbar glanced at Cloud, a little worried by his tone.

_"Demyx left."_ Axel answered. _"Zexion's a mess – I didn't read the whole note, but something was going on with his parents and that's why Zex offered to let him stay with us. Larx is with Zex, but I'm heading to Demyx's. I can swing by and pick you up."_

Cloud cursed. "I'll be out front." He hung up and grabbed his jacket. "Family emergency. I'm leaving."

Xigbar frowned. "Everything okay?"

"No." Cloud headed for the door.

A few moments later, Axel pulled up, stopping Larxene's car in front of him.

Cloud got it. "Abusive parents?"

"No idea." Axel admitted. "He didn't seem worried about his safety, but I didn't read the whole thing. Just said he could 'deal with his parents'."

"Even if they aren't… Zex brought him to us for a reason. What is Demyx thinking, trying to leave? How's Zex doing, you know?" Cloud asked.

"No idea." Axel sighed. "Larx is with him, but I know Zex had fallen pretty hard for Demyx, and that note pretty much said, "I like you too, but I'm leaving anyway"." Axel sighed again, "He was worried about us all getting arrested for harboring a minor or something."

"Dammit." Cloud slammed his fist into his knee. "He's not 18? The state views all those under 18 as minors and under the control of parents / guardians. Unless he gets emancipated by a judge… he's right. Why didn't he just say something, though? And I knew they liked each other – they weren't exactly subtle. God, Zex's gotta be crushed. We gotta get Dem back, Axel."

"Well, we're sure as hell going to try." Axel nodded. "his house isn't too much further – hopefully he either skipped school or hasn't left for the day."

"If he liked Zex at all, I don't think he'll be up for school right now." Cloud pointed out.

"Good point." Axel nodded.

"His note say why he snuck out in the middle of the night?" Cloud asked.

"He only said that he couldn't work up the courage to tell Zex." Axel shook his head.

Cloud just shook his head. "Which one is his?" He asked when the car started slowing down.

"The white one." Axel said, pulling in front and stopping the car.

Cloud noted there was no cars in the driveway as they both got out. "Just gonna knock on the door?"

"What else do we do?" Axel asked.

Cloud nodded as they walked to the door. He reached out and knocked. Loudly.

A few moments later, Demyx opened the door. His eyes fell in the two of them and he tried to shut the door again, looking panicked, but Axel grabbed it.

"Can we talk?" Axel asked.

Demyx hesitated.

"Demyx. I think you owe us the right to at least talk about this." Cloud said firmly.

Demyx sighed, nodding and letting them in.

"What are you dealing with in this house? Abuse?" Cloud asked immediately. He didn't care about minor laws – Demyx so much as hesitated with this question and he was taking him out of there now.

Demyx's eyes widened, "No! Definitely not, no. Shit, I should've explained that better; I didn't even think about that."

Axel visibly relaxed. "Then what's going on?"

Demyx sighed, plopping onto the couch, "My parents are divorcing." He mumbled.

"Are they home?" Cloud asked, making sure they were alone.

"Not right now, no." Demyx shook his head.

"Okay, so your parents are divorcing." Axel repeated. "Are they involving you? I know that's tough, but they're probably worrying about you."

Demyx shook his head, "It's not the divorcing that bothers me. Actually, the sooner that they're out of each other's hair, the better. But they can't decide which of them I should be staying with after this. They're fighting over me like I'm some… doll that they can rip in half."

"I'm guessing your opinion isn't being heard? They wouldn't like you staying with us, I bet…" Cloud said, trying to imagine two adults fighting over a child.

"Not at all." Demyx sighed. "They're literally ripping me apart, and treating me like I'm an object instead of a person."

"When do you turn 18?" Cloud asked, glancing at Axel.

"July." Demyx sighed.

Cloud frowned. "Do you know what an emancipated minor is?"

Demyx nodded. "Yeah… I think."

"Basically, anyone under 18 can become an emancipated minor if they can prove they can provide for themselves and would have a more stable life away from their parents or guardians. Obviously little kids can't do this – but you could try. I tried when I was younger but it's hard for a kid to find a steady job that pays enough for food and rent. But if we could prove the emotional damage of staying with your parents and show a judge our willingness to take you in and have you secure a job and continue your education… you could stay with us and not have to wait until July. It would be legal."

Demyx's face lit up. "Do you think it would work?"

"As long as we can find people willing to say in court, 'yes, this is happening', yes. But we'd need a good lawyer. And you're parents would fight us." Cloud said.

"Right…" Demyx nodded.

Axel put a hand on Demyx's shoulder. "Hey, it'll work out. More importantly, do you feel safe enough staying here until it does?"

"Safe? Yes." Demyx said.

Cloud nodded. "Are you okay with this? You would be choosing us over your parents. And we'd need Zexion's help getting a skilled enough lawyer."

Demyx faltered at the sound of Zexion's name, but he took a deep breath, "My parents don't think of me as the son they both want to have, they think of me as an object that one of them won't have. Trust me, I'm fine with it."

"Okay." Cloud nodded. "Then we'll work on it. It'll take a few days – most likely a week – for Zexion's lawyer to gather everything up and then you'll need to go to court. We'll all be there with you and your parents won't know about this until the court date is set – then they'll be notified, so you need to prepare for that."

"Right." Demyx nodded. "For now, just… pretend everything's okay?" He guessed.

Cloud nodded. "Whatever works. Either Axel or I will call when we know more, and the lawyer will need to talk to you, so keep your cell on. Also, don't skip anymore school – it won't look good. I'll start looking for a part-time job."

Demyx nodded. "Okay." He pulled his phone out, quickly turning it back on.

"Dem, you should've told us." Axel said, "Or at least told Zex. He was a mess when I left him. I don't want to say it, but you messed that up and you're going to have to fix it."

"I know." Demyx said, looking away. He was shaking lightly. "I know I did. And I'll fix it. I… I'll do anything. I just hope he forgives me."

"As long as you're willing to try, he will. Eventually. Zex can be stubborn, and you're his first real friend besides us, and I know he considers us more like family just like we know he's ours. This isn't by any measure going to be easy. Are you absolutely sure?" Cloud asked.

Demyx nodded, determined, though still shaking.

"All right. I've got an idea about that job but first we need to head home to fill in Zexion and get the number of his lawyer. Do you… Do you want us to ask Zexion not to call?" Cloud asked hesitantly.

Demyx hesitated. "I… yes. I don't think I can talk to him until all this is over without saying screw it and leaving again."

Cloud nodded. "Okay. Stay in school, and sleep here at night. But between school and nighttime, you'll be working at whatever job I can find. You have to keep up your grades while doing this, too. Can you handle it?"

Demyx nodded again. "Yeah."

"Good. I'll call soon." Cloud said, reaching out and riffling Dem's hair. "We should get going."

"Right." Axel nodded. "Call us if you need something, and we'll keep you posted."

Demyx nodded.

Cloud waved and smiled, hoping Demyx could keep it together long enough for this to work as he walked to the door. He and Axel left and got into the car.

"I'm calling Larx." Cloud said.

"Sounds good." Axel nodded, pulling away from the house. "I hope Zex is a little more stable right now."

Cloud nodded and pulled out his cell.

XXXX

Larxene sighed. "Zex, you need to eat something."

Zexion stared dully at the table, eyes bloodshot. "Not hungry." He mumbled.

"Doesn't matter. Eat." Larxene said sternly.

Zexion shook his head, eyes falling to his hands in his lap. _'We held hands here, too… Demyx…'_ Larxene's cell started ringing, but Zex ignored it, wiping at his eyes.

Larxene pulled it out, answering "Please tell me you have good news." She said, hopeful.

_"Kinda. W found Dem, he's at home. And he has to stay there. Larx, he's 17. Technically, him living with us is illegal. But I've got an idea on a solution. How's Zex doing?"_ Cloud asked.

"Shit." Larxene sighed, knowing Cloud was right. "He's… been better. He's better than a little while ago, at least."

Zexion's head snapped up. "Who is that? Larx?"

_"Good. Because we're going to need coherent Zexion's help. We need his lawyer – I think we can get Demyx declared an emancipated minor and moved back in with us. His home life is okay now – his parents are divorcing, fighting over him – so physically, he'll be fine even if he stays there."_ Cloud said.

Larxene relaxed a little before glancing at Zexion. "It's Cloud. Eat." Turning her attention back to the phone, she spoke, "That's be good. And yeah, I think you'll be able to talk to him."

_"That's good. We'll be there soon, but if he tries before we get there, don't let him call Dem. Neither can handle it right now."_ Cloud said.

Zexion slumped back, staring at the table again. "Oh. I thought…" He trailed off.

Larxene frowned. "Right. Good idea. Did you leave work?"

_"Yeah. Once I get the lawyer information from Zex, I need a ride back to get my bike. I've gotta find Dem a job, and I've got an idea."_ Cloud said.

"Okay. Axel or I can take care of that." Larxene nodded. "One of us is going to need to stay here."

_"I agree. You working later? I've got to see Leon anyway. I can get you off to stay with him it that works best. Unless I can make it back before your shift – Cid knows I'm not going back in today."_ Cloud said.

Halfheartedly, Zexion mumbled, "I'm fine – no one has to stay here."

Larxene ignored Zexion. "I've got work, but Axel can stay here – I can go with you and then go to work."

_"That's fine. We're on the street now, see you in a few."_ Cloud hung up.

Larxene shut her phone, pocketing it. "Zexion, you need to eat."

"My stomach hurts." Zexion said. _'He always made it hurt, too… but now I'm not feeling butterflies – just aching…'_

"Zex…" Larxene frowned. "Your stomach probably hurts because you're hungry."

Zexion shook his head. "No…"

Cloud and Axel walked into the house, heading to the kitchen.

Larxene turned as they walked in. "Hey." She nodded.

"Hey. Zex, you okay?" Cloud asked.

Zexion glanced up at him. "Shouldn't you… aren't you working today?"

Cloud shook his head. "Switched with Xig. Zexion, listen. We have to talk to you."

Zexion nodded, resuming his staring contest with the table.

Axel frowned, glancing at Larxene, who sighed.

"We found Demyx." Axel spoke. "He's okay."

Zexion snapped his gaze to Axel, eyes watering. "He's… okay? Where is he?"

"Back at his house." Axel said. "But Zex, he needs to stay there for now. None of us knew he was only 17. We figured he was 18."

Zexion stood up, striding through the living room towards the door.

"Zex, what're you doing?" Cloud asked.

Zexion pulled on shoes. "I have to see him."

"Not a good idea right now." Axel said, taking Zexion by the shoulders and steering him back into the kitchen.

Zexion twisted out of his grip. "I need to see him." He repeated, heading for the door again.

Larxene stepped forward to block the door, "No, Zex, you need to listen to us first."

"I…" A few tears slipped down his face. "Fine. I'll call him." He pulled out his cell phone.

Axel grabbed it out of his hand, "Zexion. Listen to us. We need to explain something to you. We have a plan to get him out."

A few more tears streaked down his face. "I miss him." Zexion whispered brokenly, staring at his feet.

Axel pulled him into a hug, not saying anything.

Zexion fisted the material of Axel's shirt, crying silently.

Cloud looked at Larxene. "The whole time?" He gestured at Zex.

Larxene nodded, "Most of it."

Cloud ran a hand through his hair. "Zexion, listen to me. We can get him back if we get him declared an emancipated minor. I need you to calm down. Demyx needs your help."

Zexion tried to focus on his breathing, slowly stopping his sobs though his frame shook lightly. Slowly, he let his hands fall to his sides and stepped away from Axel.

Axel took a step back so that Cloud could talk to Zexion.

"He needs a lawyer. A good one. We need you to call one and give the phone to me. I'll explain everything and we'll get him back, though it'll take time and the lawyer'll probably need sworn statements from you. You have to be willing to pay for Dem's well-being if he stays here." Cloud explained.

Zexion nodded. "Anything. I'll do anything."

Cloud nodded. "Call a lawyer, then. The best one you can get."

Zexion thought for a moment. "Saix. My parents have him on retainer, he's the top lawyer in his firm. Axel, I need my phone."

Axel handed Zex back the phone. "Focus on this right now, alright?"

Zexion took a deep breath. "I know." He stared at his phone for a minute before searching his contacts and calling Saix's personal number. "Saix? Zexion speaking. It's time you earned your salary again. My friend Cloud is going to speak to you, and you're to do whatever he says. Understand? Good answer." Zexion held out the phone to Cloud.

Cloud grinned, taking the phone and moving towards the hall. "Saix? This is Cloud. Here's the situation…"

"Will you eat something now?" Larxene asked, hopeful. "You haven't eaten all day."

Reluctantly, Zexion nodded. "Okay."

Larxene led him into the kitchen to get him something to eat.

A few minutes later, Cloud walked back in, handing Axel Zex's phone. "He's working on it. He thinks we have a strong case. Unless you guys need anything else here, I need a ride to the shop."

"I thought you switched out?" Zexion asked. "And won't I need my phone to talk to Saix?"

"Axel picked me up while Cid worked on my bike. It should be done by now. And I'll handle Saix." Cloud said smoothly.

"Oh…" Zexion focused on his sandwich, trying to swallow around the lump of unshed tears in his throat. _'No more crying, I have to help get him back!'_

Axel pocketed Zexion's phone, and Larxene spoke up. "Alright, I'll drive you to the shop and then I've gotta get to work." She nodded.

"Okay. You leaving, too, Axel?" Zexion asked.

Axel shook his head. "Nope. Eat."

Zexion stared at his half-eaten sandwich. "I'm full."

"I'll be back in a bit. Call me if anything. And for the love of god, just finish the sandwich, Zex! Bye guys." Cloud said, rolling his eyes and heading for the door.

Larxene chuckled softly. "I have to change, Cloud! Did you not notice the PJ's? Gimme ten minutes." She dashed towards her room.

Cloud rolled his eyes again. "Tell her I'll be in the car." He said, waving and leaving.

"…Do I really have to eat this? I swear I'm not hungry." Zexion said.

"Yes. Eat it." Axel rolled his eyes.

"You're not eating." Zexion pointed out with a frown. He realized he was being childish but he didn't care – focusing on this made it hurt less inside.

"I already ate." Axel said. "You haven't eaten all day. Will you eat if I eat?"

Zexion nodded. "Yes."

Axel grabbed the stuff he needed to make himself a sandwich, taking a bite once done. Swallowing, he gave Zex a look. "Eat."

Zexion sighed, picking up his sandwich half and taking a bite.

Axel continued to eat, making sure Zexion ate too.

"See you later!" Larxene called, leaving the house.

XXXX

"Thanks. See you later." Cloud said, getting out of the car and heading into the Rusty Wrench.

"Thought you had an emergency?" Cid asked.

"Need my bike." Cloud said, going to his motorcycle.

"Everyone okay?" Xigbar asked.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. One of my roommates had to move out unexpectedly and we're working to get him back."

"Need more time?" Cid asked.

"I'll be back in tomorrow, but will need to answer my cell." Cloud said.

Cid snorted. "Like you don't already. You're lucky you're such a damn fine mechanic."

Cloud grinned. "I know. See you tomorrow."

"Good luck!" Xigbar called over the engine as Cloud left the shop.

Several minutes later, he parked outside the Hardware Store Place. He went inside, heading straight to Leon's office and knocking.

"Come in." Leon called from inside.

Cloud walking in. "Hi."

"Hey." Leon smiled, getting up, "Everything alright? I thought you were working today."

"It will be. I need a favor." Cloud said.

"Sure." Leon nodded.

"I need you to hire my roommate part-time. He's still in high school, so it'll just be a few hours after school each day. Document everything. He's a minor and we're in the legal process of getting him emancipated, and he needs a job. Please, Leon. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Cloud said.

Leon nodded. "Alright. But I can't keep him hired if he doesn't work – you know that."

"He will. Thank you. Our lawyer may ask you to make a statement as his employer. He'll work hard, I promise." Cloud said, reaching for Leon's hand and smiling.

Leon took Cloud's hand and squeezed it. "So, the emancipated minor thing the reason you left work?"

Cloud nodded. "Demyx – the kid you just hired who will be here tomorrow after school – left last night in order to not anger his parents into having us arrested – minor and all that. Problem is, we're all kind of attached now and other roommate, Zexion? Completely in love with him. He just stopped crying."

"Ah…" Leon frowned. "Well, good luck, and let me know if there's anything else I can do – as Demyx's employer or as your boyfriend, of course."

"Larxene'll probably be a little protective of Dem when he's here, so if you could cut her some slack until this is settled, it'd be appreciated. Seriously, thank you Leon." Cloud smiled, squeezing his hand.

"It's no problem." Leon promised.

Cloud stepped closer. "I owe you one, so think of what you want. But before I have to go, how about a kiss?" He asked, tilting his head.

Leon smirked, leaning in and kissing Cloud.

Cloud sighed, smiling and closing his eyes and just enjoying the moment. Leon was a very excellent kisser. When it ended, he pulled back and smiled. "Thank you. I'll keep you updated. I should probably go."

"Alright. Gimme a call later, lemme know how things are going?" Leon asked.

"I will. Thanks, Leon. Bye." Cloud kissed him one more time before smiling and waving, leaving his office.

Weaving through the isles, he found Larxene. "Leon's going to hire Demyx, so he'll be here tomorrow. Make sure he does his job but doesn't burn out, okay?"

"Will do." Larxene nodded. "Leon knows the situation, I'm guessing?"

"I filled him in with the basics. I have to update Saix and let Dem know he has a job, but then I'll call Leon after he's out of here and give him the whole story." Cloud explained.

Larxene nodded. "Alright, sounds good. Give Axel a call later and let him know? Or are you heading back to the house?"

"I'm heading back, but I have to work tomorrow. Later tonight, we need to come up with a schedule so Zex's not alone. I can work only half days if needed to cover for your's and Axel's jobs." Cloud said.

Larxene nodded. "Alright. I'll see if I can get some schedule tweaks once we get everything nailed down, but I want to be working when Dem is."

"As long as Axel sticks to early days, we can cover your afternoons so sthat you can be here. Then I can run in to the shop at night and get the main stuff Cid needs done." Cloud said.

"Can you do that without getting in trouble?" Larxene asked. "I can take some days off if I need to, I guess."

"No, it's fine. Cid needs me and he knows it. I'll talk to Xig, but as long as the work gets done, Cid doesn't really care how or when we do it." Cloud explained, mentally adding Xigbar to his 'people to call' list.

Larxene nodded. "Alright."

"I'll see you at the house." Cloud said, heading for the door.

"See you." Larxene waved, getting back to work.

XXXX

Axel plopped face down on his bed, groaning. Larxene had just gotten back from work, relieving him from Zexion duty. He loved Zexion, don't get him wrong, but he was exhausted.

His ringtone broke the silence in the room and he grumbled to himself, the sound muffled by his pillow. Pulling it out of his jeans pocket, he checked the number before flipping it open. "Hey Rox."

_"Hi Axel! Whatcha doing?"_

"Resting." Axel answered. "What about you?"

_"Just finished making dinner for Sora and me. He's on cleanup duty and I don't have any pressing homework, so I thought I'd call you. You okay?" You sound… weird."_ Roxas's voice turned worried.

"I'm fine, yeah. Shit's happening over here." Axel sighed.

_"What's going on?"_

"Demyx left." Axel explained, sighing again. "He's only 17 – he left so that we wouldn't get in trouble for harboring a minor, and now Cloud's setting up a court case to get him emancipated and Larxene and I have to pretty much watch Zexion constantly."

_"Is he okay? Is Zex okay? What can I do?"_ Roxas asked.

"Dem's fine." Axel said. "Zex is… Zex." He sat up, leaning against the wall next to his bed. "There's not much you can do, really, but thanks for offering."

_"You want me to come over? Just for comfort?"_ Roxas asked, worried about him.

"No, no, that's okay. Probably a bad idea tonight." Axel answered. "But thanks, Rox."

_"Okay… well, the second you need me, I'm there, okay? How long's this court thing gonna take – you guys need food or anything?"_

Axel chuckled. "Cloud estimates at least a week, as long as money is as magical as always." He smirked. "I think we're set on food, too, but I will definitely ask if we need help."

_"Please do – I wanna help. How are you holding up? I bet you've only been focusing on Zex – which, god, I can only imagine he's pretty bad since the guy he loves is gone – but what about you?"_

"Just exhausted." Axel said. "Zex is pretty much the smartest kid in the universe, but it's in situations like that that you really realize that he's still just a kid, and that he didn't have a childhood. No matter what Larx, Cloud, and I do to try and fix that, we don't have a time machine, you know?" Axel asked. "We're all older than him, and Dem wasn't. Demyx was Zexion's first friend that he… made alone, I guess."

_"I… he's gotta be going crazy. But, Axel – don't burn yourself out worrying about him. That won't be good for either of you."_ Roxas said gently, knowing Axel, Larxene, and Cloud has essentially adopted Zexion.

"I'm not gonna burn myself out." Axel promised, "But thank you for the concern."

_"Of course. If you need anything – __anything__ – call me. I mean it, day or night. If you just need to talk or ramble or vent or if you need to just forget for a while, I'm here. I'd be there if you'd let me."_

"Thank you, Roxas." Axel said sincerely, "It means a lot. I'll come by your place during my lunch break tomorrow to see you, since I'll be pretty preoccupied at home for the next week or so."

_"Of course. I'll make you something special and we can just watch something corny on TV and relax."_ Roxas said, grinning.

Axel smiled, "Sure, that sounds great. Thanks, Rox."

_"You don't have to thank me – it's my job to make you happy." _Roxas teased.

Axel chuckled. "You make me happy without trying, Roxy." He said, smirking.

Roxas laughed. _"Then I must be doing something right. Miss you, Ax. Wish I could be there – I bet you could use a hug right about now. Or, you know, a kiss or twelve…"_

Axel chuckled. "A kiss or twelve would be awesome right now, but Zexion's too volatile for that at the moment. We'll just make up for the lack of kissing tomorrow."

_"Whatever you want. Tomorrow's just for you."_ Roxas promised.

Axel chuckled. "Thanks, Rox."

_"You sound exhausted. Want me to go so you can catch a nap?"_

"No. I like talking to you."

Roxas smiled. _"I do, too. Okay, I'll entertain you with my day. I warn you, though, it's pretty boring."_

"Tell me anyway." Axel smiled.

XXXX

"Axel, I am so tired." Larxene groaned, curling up in one of the armchairs in the living room of their house. They'd finally gotten Zexion to get some sleep, and it was almost the middle of the night.

"Likewise, Lightning Bug." Axel groaned. "I have to work in the morning. But we need to talk to Cloud before either of us can pass out."

"I'm still gonna whine about it." Larxene grumbled.

Cloud walked into the house, toeing off his shoes and collapsing onto the couch. "How's Zex?"

"Finally sleeping." Axel said. "Or at least trying to."

Cloud sighed, nodding. "All right. I called Dem – he starts work tomorrow. He's holding up okay – better than Zex, I'd say."

Larxene nodded. "This will all be over soon – Dem'll be back here and we won't have to worry about this."

"Yeah." Cloud agreed. "Saix is working on it – he'll probably be by a few days before the trail to get statements and walk us through it, but right now he's focusing on proving the emotional distress put on Dem in his house. Saix thinks we'll be in court in no less than a week."

"Awesome." Axel nodded. "Money is magic."

Cloud laughed. "I guess. I'll handle Saix to keep him from Zex as long as possible. Ax, you gotta watch Zex. Larx, you gotta watch Dem at work. Other than that, all we can do it wait."

"Right." Larxene sighed. Turning her gaze to the TV, she fell silent, even though the TV wasn't even on.

"Did he break anymore today?" Cloud asked, staring at the ceiling, exhausted.

"He wasn't exactly ever… not broken." Axel said. "But he's better. Focusing on things. We had a ten minute discussion on sandwiches. But he threw a fit when we tried to get him to go to sleep and didn't calm down until we realized that he didn't want to sleep in his room. So, he's still in yours."

"That's fine. I forgot about the room. It's empty? Just Zex's furniture right?" Cloud asked, rubbing his forehead. He was getting a headache.

"Yeah." Larxene said. "Dem is gonna need somewhere to sleep and I'm not sure Zex'll be able to sleep in that bed again."

Cloud sighed. "Probably not." Outside, lightning flashed.

"Okay, I'll handled that." Larxene nodded. "I can take care of getting another bed and redecorating."

"Sounds good. Think you can fit another bed in there?" Cloud asked as thunder boomed and it started raining lightly.

Larxene nodded. "Zex's home library can fit out here. Living room's too lain, anyway."

"Zex isn't gonna like you touching his stuff." Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Zex is going to need to suck it up." Larxene grumbled.

"I can help in the mornings with that until I have to run to the shop." Cloud said as the rain picked up, hitting the windows as the storm got stronger. "Thank god this storm waited until I got home." He grumbled.

At the word 'storm', Larxene's eyes widened. "Fuck." She muttered, leaping out of her chair and running down the hall to Cloud's room.

Axel blinked, "Larx?"

Zexion glanced up when the door opened. He was wedged in the corner, hugging his knees to his chest, tears pouring from his eyes like the rain outside.

"It's raining." He croaked as he spotted Larxene and Axel in the doorway, Cloud behind them.

Larxene carefully approached him, "Zex…"

Zexion shook, his breathing panicky and erratic as the rain pounded into the windows. He buried his head into his arms.

Cloud glanced at Axel. "Rain? Do you know…?"

Larxene pulled Zexion into a hug as Axel shook his head. "No idea…"

Zexion gave in and cried, working himself up almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"Whoa, Zex – calm down. What's wrong?" Cloud demanded.

Larxene turned to him and shook her head.

"Come on, Cloud." Axel said. "Let's let Zex rest." He suggested.

Cloud sighed, frustrated. He nodded, following Axel into the kitchen and bragging a beer. "Want one?"

"Yes please." Axel sighed. "We can't control the fucking weather. If Zex is going to get like this whenever it rains, we're screwed."

Cloud handed him a beer, sitting down. "I know. I hope Larx at least knows why he's upset. The storm's already slowing down – it's just one of those thunderstorms. I think the radio was warning about them for today and tomorrow in the shop this morning… Was it really only this morning?"

Axel sighed, letting his head fall down to hit the counter. "Longest day ever."

"I'll drink to that." Cloud said, pretending to toast Axel and taking a long sip of beer.

They sat there drinking for a few more minutes before Larxene finally walked in.

"Hey. How's Zex?" Axel asked.

"Managed to get him calm, once the rain stopped. It had to fucking rain tonight, didn't it?" She shook her head.

"What's the deal with that?" Cloud asked.

"Yesterday evening, Demyx managed to convince Zexion to go outside and actually play in the rain." Larxene said.

"Fuck. What the hell was he thinking, getting Zex to do something like that and then leaving? Zex really did it?" Cloud asked.

"They came in covered head to tow in mud." Larxene answered.

"…I can't even picture that. No, wait I can – and Zex looks pissed." Cloud said.

Axel sighed. "So rain is bad. Great."

"Think he'll cry every time?" Cloud asked Larx.

Larxene sighed. "If he's not distracted."

Cloud nodded. "It's only for a week – then Dem should be back. Have you guys thought of his reaction to that? He can't lose it in the courtroom – it'll be bad for us."

"I think as long as we talk to him, he'll be fine." Axel said. "When he has something to focus on, Zex is okay."

"When we all get home, my thoughts are to just shut the two of them in a room and let them figure it out." Cloud said.

"Definitely." Larxene nodded.

Cloud sighed. "This is going to be a long week."

XXXX

Oh, Cloud. You have no idea. :D

Jasmine here. If you find anything inaccurate with the legalities of this plotline, I want you to repeat something: Saix is magic.

Magic.

So, there's good news and bad news. Good news is we have up to chapter 26 completely written. Bad news is most of it has yet to be typed and classes are starting, so we have no idea when we'll be able to type it up and post. And then once we run out of pre-written chapters, updates will probably be sporadic at best. But we will try our hardest!

Reviews might make Zexion stop crying ;)


	24. Don't Mess With The Dessert God

Cloud parked his bike and pulled off his helmet, heading into the Hardware Store Place, spotting a familiar face at the register. "Hi Dem."

Demyx looked up, "Oh, hey Cloud." He said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to check on you. Everything okay?" Cloud asked.

Demyx nodded. "Yeah, definitely. Thank you again."

"No problem. Leon treating you okay?" Cloud asked, smiling.

Demyx nodded again. "He's been really good."

"Good. He's really a big softie, so just do your work and you'll be fine. You see Larxene?" Cloud asked.

"Yep." Demyx nodded. "She's stocking a few aisles away. She showed me around and keeps popping up every half hour or so."

"That's good. You need anything, just ask her. If you can't find her, ask Leon. He'll help you, I promise." Cloud said., riffling Dem's hair.

Demyx smiled at him. "I will. Thank you again, for going to so much trouble for me…"

"You don't have to thank me. If you really want to, though, you'll make Zexion happy once you're back with us. He misses you. And Dem? He likes you, too. We all muss you, okay? So don't thank us for fighting for you – that's what family does, right?" Cloud smiled.

Demyx stiffened before breaking into a grin. "Right. Thank you."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I told you, stop thanking me! Just be happy. You know where Leon is? His office?"

Demyx nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Good. I'm gonna go say hi to him, but I'll let you know when I leave, okay?" Cloud said.

Demyx nodded again. "Okay."

Cloud waved, going down a few aisles before spotting Larxene. "Hey, I just talked to Dem. He seems okay. I'm going to pop in on Leon – everything good here?"

"Yep. Dem's been quiet, but otherwise pretty normal. Thanked me a million and a half times before I reminded him that I didn't do anything."

Cloud chuckled. "Tried to do that with me, too, until I told him we were his family and he could thank us by cheering up Zex. That shut him up."

Larxene smirked. "Thanks, then. How is Zex?"

"Still focusing on the randomest things, but better, I think, with a goal. He knows he has to hold it together until after the case is over and won, so he's concentrating on that." Cloud answered.

Larxene nodded. "Good."

"Yeah. Well, I'm gonna pop in on Leon. I'll see you at home later." Cloud said, heading to Leon's office and knocking.

"Come in!"

"Hey. I just wanted to check how things with Demyx are going." Cloud said, walking in and closing the door behind him.

"Not bad." Leon shrugged. "Kid's definitely willing to work, which is good. How's the stuff with the case going?"

"Saix thinks we'll win. We just have to wait for him to actually schedule a court date. So, good. Zex's holding up better than yesterday. Thanks again, Leon. I hope you don't mind but I told Dem he could ask you for help if he needs it since you'll be seeing him the most during this besides Larx." Cloud said.

"I don't mind at all." Leon shook his head.

"Thank you." Cloud smiled.

Leon smiled back. "How are you? Not over working yourself will all this, I hope."

"Let's just say this is going to be a long week. Axel's taking care of Zex and Larxene is watching out for Dem and fixing him a bedroom, so I'm handling… everything else. The case stuff. I know it better than them, anyway." Cloud said.

"Tell me if I can do anything, okay?" Leon asked.

"Once we win, a nice quiet dinner for two would be nice." Cloud smiled.

"Of course." Leon promised.

Cloud sighed. "Thanks. I should probably go give Axel a few hours' break before I have to work."

"Alright." Leon frowned. "If you need anything, promise you'll call me?"

"Promise. I might even call you just because." Cloud walked over to Leon and hugged him, closing his eyes. "Thanks, Leon."

Leon held him, chuckling softly. "No problem, Cloud."

Cloud took a deep breath before pulling back and smiling. "Talk to you later."

Leon nodded. "Alright."

Kissing him quickly, Cloud smiled and left, stopping at the registers again. "Okay, Dem, I'll see you later. Saix'll probably call you soon, if he hasn't yet."

Demyx nodded. "Alright." He said, before hesitating, "Um… say hi to Zexion for me?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "Okay. I will. Be safe and stay strong. Call me whenever you need to."

"Thanks." Demyx said. "I will."

Cloud smiled and waved, leaving and heading home. A few minutes later, he pulled into the driveway and headed inside.

"Hey, guys." He said, as Zex and Ax were on the couch watching TV.

Axel groaned over, "Hey Cloud."

"Where'd you go?" Zexion asked.

"I told you, I went to see Leon on his break." Cloud said, sitting in a chair.

"Have you… heard from Saix?" Zexion asked anxiously.

Cloud glanced at Axel. "He's working on it. He says we'll be in court soon, and he thinks we'll win."

"That's good." Zexion said, sounding relieved and chewing on his bottom lip.

Cloud hesitated before saying, I talked to Demyx. He asked me to say hi from him."

"He… did?" Zexion whispered. "How did he sound?"

"Okay. He misses us, but he's hanging in." Cloud said.

In a strangled voice, Zexion asked, "He didn't… say anything… else?"

Cloud shook his head. "He's hurting, too, Zex." He said quietly.

Zexion nodded shortly, fists clenching as he stared at the TV.

"How about I get us all something to drink?" Axel suggested.

"Sounds good." Cloud agreed.

Axel headed into the kitchen without asking what anyone wanted.

"You okay?" Cloud asked Zex.

"How's Leon?" Zexion asked, ignoring Cloud's question.

"He's fine." Cloud answered.

"When are we meeting him?" Zexion demanded.

"Soon, Zex. Promise." Cloud reassured.

Zexion nodded. "What's he like?"

"He's… I don't know. Quiet. Cute. Sweet. Funny. He's nice." Cloud said, relieved when Axel walked back in with drinks.

Axel handed the soda bottles out, sitting back down.

"Don't you think we should meet Leon?" Zexion asked the redhead.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure we'll meet Leon soon."

"Do you have a picture?" Zexion asked Cloud.

"Ah… No." Cloud said.

"You should get one so we can at least see what he looks like." Zexions said decisively.

Axel sighed, realizing what Zexion was doing.

"And what about you?" Zexion asked Axel. "Where's Roxas?"

"At his house, I think." Axel answered.

"Well, when was the last time you saw him? Never mind, when are you seeing him next? Is he coming over?" Zex asked.

"Do you want Roxas to come over? Because Roxas can come over." Axel spoke, "In fact, I'll go call Roxas." He escaped to the kitchen.

"Roxas is coming over." Zexion told Cloud.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I know, I heard."

"Do you like Roxas?" Zex asked.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, he's okay."

"Just okay?" Zexion pressed.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "He's great."

"Have you had his cooking?" Zexion asked.

"Yeah, it was good." Cloud said.

"He made me pie. It was delicious. He's good for Axel – he can feed him." Zexion nodded.

Cloud chuckled. "Yeah, they work together."

"Do you work with Leon? Have you met his roommates?" Zexion asked.

"I guess we do. And yeah, I have, but I work with Xig, remember?" Cloud asked.

"Right. Still, why did they get to meet you but we haven't met Leon?" Zexion pressed.

"I don't know! Next time Leon's off, I'll bring him over. Okay?" Cloud demanded.

"Yes." Zexion said, resuming his staring at the TV.

Cloud barely suppressed a sigh as there was a knock at the door.

Axel dashed through the room, "Oh, that must be Roxas! I'll get it!" He looked absolutely exhausted. Opening the door, his eyes fell on Roxas and he felt ten seconds off of collapsing from exhaustion and relief.

"You look like hell. What is going on?" Roxas demanded.

"Zexion's going on." Axel answered in a hushed voice. "And I apologize in advance." He said, grabbing Roxas and steering him into the living room.

"Roxas. Thank god." Cloud muttered.

"Hi Cloud. Zexion." Roxas said, giving Cloud a look.

"Roxas. Why don't you visit more?" Zexion demanded.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "I was here four days ago."

"Well, you should visit more often. Axel misses you." Zexion said.

Roxas grinned. "He does, huh?"

Axel responded by plopping onto the couch face first.

Roxas laughed, patting Axel's head and sitting next to him, pulling his head onto his lap and massaging his scalp.

"You two are cute. I told Cloud you're good for Axel, right, Cloud?" Zex asked.

"Sure Zex." Cloud said tiredly.

Zexion nodded. "I did. Cloud thinks you're only okay. I like you, though."

"Hey, I said he's great!" Cloud protested.

"You only clarified because I pressed." Zexion said.

Roxas stared at him. "Did you have caffeine?"

Zexion frowned. "No, why?"

Roxas chuckled. "You're full of nervous energy. Go for a walk or something."

"Maybe later. Have you met Leon?" Zexion asked.

"Who's Leon?" Rxoas asked, confused.

"Cloud's boyfriend. See Cloud, no one knows him! Maybe you're making him up." Zexion wondered aloud.

"What? No I'm not! He's Larx's boss!" Cloud yelled.

"She could be in on it." Zexion mused.

"…I need a beer." Cloud left and headed to the kitchen.

Roxas continued playing with Axel's hair and trying to rid some of his tension. "How long?" He murmured.

It was a little muffled, but Axel answered, "Two days."

"Oh, Axel. I'm sorry." Roxas whispered.

"What do you think?" Zexion asked.

"I'm sorry, Zexion. What?" Roxas asked.

"Do you think Leon's real?" Zexion asked.

Roxas laughed. "I think so."

"Why?" Zex asked.

"Why what?" Rxoas asked as Cloud walked back in with a beer.

"Why do you think so?" Zexion clarified.

"Cloud's a good person – he wouldn't lie about something like this." Roxas reassured.

"Hmm… That's true." Zexion said.

Cloud smiled. "Finally."

"Proof would be best, though." Zexion added.

Cloud groaned. "You want proof? Fine. Would a phone call satisfy you?"

"Hmm. It's a good start." Zexion said.

"Zex, have you slept at all?" Roxas asked.

"Some. It's hard to sleep. I'm tired without being sleepy. It's an oxymoron, really." Zexion said.

"Oh, I get it." Roxas said.

"Are you calling Leon?" Zexion asked Cloud, who had pulled out his cell.

"Yes." Cloud said, dialing. "Leon?"

_"Yes, hello. Are you alright? You sound…"_ He trailed off.

"Call if I need anything, right? Please inform Zexion I did not make you up and we are in fact dating. Don't mention that new register, though, okay? That's just between us."

"What register? What's he mean?" Zexion asked.

Roxas nodded solemnly. "It's code for sex. They probably do it at work."

Zexion was silent as he thought about that before he nodded. "That's a good code. Thanks, Roxas."

"Sure, Zex." Roxas smiled, patting Axel's head in sympathy when he groaned.

As Zexion took the phone, Leon spoke. _"Hello, Zexion."_

"Who is this?" Zexion asked.

_"It's Leon."_ Leon answered. _"Cloud's boyfriend."_ He added as an afterthought.

"You say that, and yet I don't have proof besides your word. What's Cloud look like?" Zexion asked.

Leon paused, _"Blonde, blue eyes, about the same height as Larxene."_

"Where does he work? What kind of car does he drive?" Zexion asked.

Cloud groaned and Roxas snickered.

_"He works at the Rusty Wrench, and he doesn't have a car. He drives a motorcycle."_

"Hm, you knew my trick question. Okay, but can you name one of Cloud's friends that he doesn't live with?" Zexion demanded.

_"Zack."_ Leon answered easily. _"His wife is pregnant."_

"Hm. That's right. Okay. I'll believe you. But I still want to meet you. Soon. Hey, what do you think of Cloud? Do you like him? He called you cute." Zex said.

"Okay, you don't have to tell him that!" Cloud protested, embarrassed.

Leon chuckled. _"Of course I like Cloud. Feel free to tell him I think he's cute, too."_

"Leon thinks' you're cute, too, Cloud. I guess you're a good couple, then. Hey, Leon – you have to choose between your favorite thing of all time and Cloud – what do you pick?" Zexion asked.

Cloud blushed and put his head in his hands. He definitely owed Leon for this.

Roxas leaned down to whisper to Axel. "I'd choose you."

_"My favorite thing is Cloud."_ Leon answered after a moment.

"Okay. You win. Thank you, Leon." Zexion said, hanging the phone to Cloud.

Hesitantly, Cloud said, "Leon?"

_"Has he been like this since yesterday morning?"_ Leon asked.

"Yes. Focusing on other things." Cloud groaned.

_"Shit. I'm sorry, Cloud. Let me know if I can do anything, alright?"_

"Thank you. A hundred million thank you's. You're the best. Hey – what'd you tell him that made him believe you?" Cloud asked.

Leon smirked, _"Maybe I'll tell you later."_

Cloud smiled. "On that dinner, maybe?"

_"Sure."_ Leon nodded. _"Sounds good."_

"I can't wait." Cloud said sincerely. "I'd better go. Thanks again, Leon."

_"No problem. Call me later, alright?"_ Leon asked.

"I will. Bye." Cloud hung up.

"Thank you, Cloud. Leon's nice – I like him." Zexion said.

"Sure Zex. Thanks." Cloud said.

XXXX

Xigbar pulled up to Kairi's house and beeped the car horn.

Kairi came running out of the house and slipped into the passenger's seat of Xigbar's car. "Hey." She smiled.

"Hey, Red. I'm guessing Namine's boyfriend is picking her up?" Xigbar asked, wanting to make sure before he pulled away.

"Yep. She's at the school – he's picking her up from her last class." Kairi answered. "Hey, Xig?"

"Yeah? What's up, Sass?" Xigbar asked, studying her face.

Kairi leaned in, giving him a kiss. When she pulled back, she said, "Sorry. Sora and Riku got me thinking about kissing and I realized we hadn't yes. Had to fix that." Not sounding sorry in the slightest.

Xigbar grinned. "Remind me to thank Sora later, then." He kissed her again. "Ready, Sass?"

"Yes I am." Kairi smiled, leaning back and buckling her seatbelt.

XXXX

Xigbar held the door to the restaurant open for Kairi, following her inside and scanning the tables for her sister.

Reno spotted Kairi's hair from their table near the back of the restaurant and waved, calling them over.

Kairi slipped her hand into Xigbar's. "Come on." She smiled.

He smiled back and winked at her as they made their way to the table.

Namine smiled. "Reno, this is Xigbar, Kairi's boyfriend."

Xigbar grinned as he pulled out Kairi's chair. "Hey."

Reno nodded. "Hey. Nice to meet you. Hi, Kairi."

"Hello." Kairi nodded as she sat down.

"Likewise." Xigbar nodded, sitting down himself. "Heya, Namine."

The blonde smiled. "Hello. How are you?"

Xigbar grinned, "Great."

Naminé smiled, "That's good."

Kairi smiled, taking Xigbar's hand under the table as the waitress came over to get their drink orders.

Once she left, Xigbar looked at Reno, "So, you're the one who stole Naminé for a weekend? Disneyplace. Very nice."

Reno grinned, "Thank you." He said, nodding, "You work at the Rusty Wrench, right?"

"Yep. Mechanic and head of all paperworks, that's me. What about you?" Xigbar asked, idly playing with Kairi's hand.

"I work at the Chocolate Chocobo—I'm a bartender." Reno answered, "You guys are always fixing my brother's car."

Xigbar frowned, "Wait, are you Riku's brother?"

"Yep." Reno nodded.

"That car needs to be put down." Xigbar said with a shake of the head, "The _only_ reason it's working now is because Cloud's a miracle worker—it's a lost cause."

Reno laughed, "Trust me, I know. That's why I don't get mad at him when he steals mine. I'll be getting a new one soon, so he'll be able to have mine permanently."

"Good, 'cause it hurts just looking at that hunk of junk." Xigbar grinned.

Naminé laughed. "Poor Riku."

Reno laughed, "Yeah. At least Sora can always cart him around."

Kairi snorted. "Sora's car is only marginally better off than Riku's."

"Okay, okay, hold on a minute." Xigbar said. "You" – he pointed at Reno – "are Riku's older brother and Riku's kissing your" – he pointed at Kairi – best friend Sora?"

Kairi nodded. "Yes."

Xigbar sighed. "And I didn't even peg Sora as gay."

Naminé grinned and shared a look with Kairi.

Kairi laughed, "It's kind of complicated. Sora didn't really peg himself as gay, and it caused this huge blowout between him and Riku resulting in Riku locking himself in his room and Sora getting himself drunk." She explained.

"Which is how I met Naminé." Reno added.

"And then Sora realized they were so close they were practically dating, anyway, and climbed in Riku's bedroom window to tell him and they've been dating since!" Naminé finished.

"…Red, your life sure as hell is interesting." Xigbar said with a grin.

"Hey, it was on the way back from the celebratory dinner that Nam and I's car started breaking down, so indirectly that led to me meeting you." Kairi informed him.

Xigbar's grin widened. "I said it before – thank god you took terrible care of that car." He raised their linked hands to kiss Kairi's.

Naminé giggled.

Kairi smiled at him.

Reno chuckled, taking his own girlfriend's hand.

The waitress reappeared and they all ordered their food.

"So, how's classes and all that?" Xig asked Naminé.

The blonde shrugged. "They're going okay – I'm doing well."

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "Pretty and smart. Reno – why the hell were these two still single?"

Reno laughed, "'Cause they hadn't met us yet?"

Xigbar grinned. "Very true."

Kairi rolled her eyes, but didn't retort.

Before anyone else could say anything, the waitress brought them their food.

XXXX

Xigbar pulled back Kairi's chair for her, taking her hand and pulling her up before smiling at Reno and Naminé as the four left the restaurant.

"Well, that was fun." He grinned.

Naminé smiled. "It was. We should all have dinner together more often." She squeezed Reno's hand when he reached for hers.

"Definitely." Kairi smiled, leaning into Xigbar. "See you at home later?" She asked her sister.

Naminé nodded. "Yes, I'm going to Reno's for a bit before his shift starts."

"See you later then, Nami." Xigbar grinned.

"See you." Kairi smiled. "Bye, Reno."

"Bye, Kairi." Reno answered, leading Naminé away.

"So, you wanna come back to my place or something?" Kairi asked Xigbar.

"Sure, I'd love to, Red." Xigbar said, bowing as he opened the car door for her.

Kairi smiled, stepping into the car and buckling her seat belt.

Xigbar walked around and climbed in, leaning over to kiss her. "Good?"

Kairi smiled and nodded. "We could just stay here and I could kiss you again, though." She smirked playfully.

"Well, how can I deny a request like that?" Xigbar smirked.

Kairi smiled, leaning in to kiss him again.

Xigbar cupped her face, pulling her closer and kissing her slowly, only pulling back when he felt her completely melt, smiling and rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "I should probably start the car now."

"Probably." Kairi answered, not moving.

Xigbar smirked and kissed her again. "You're too damn irresistible, Red."

Kairi smirked. "Well, to you, at least. I'm not complaining."

"All right. I gotta drive." Kissing her one more time, Xigbar finally pulled back and started the car, reaching over to hold Kairi's hand as he drove.

Kairi took it, squeezing it and leaning back. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Reaching in with her free hand, she flipped it open, rolling her eyes at the message.

"What's up, Sass? Everything okay?" Xigbar asked.

"Everything's fine. Just Sora." Kairi said. "Oh, did I tell you what Sora's brother dashed out the door talking about the other day?"

"Roxas? What's the dessert god up to now?" Xigbar laughed.

Kairi giggled, "He ran out shouting about his best friend's ex-stalker flirting with him."

"Ex-stalker? Flirting? No way…" Xigbar frowned. "Is his friend named La- I mean, Hayner?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, that's it! I've only met the kid once or twice."

Xigbar groaned. "What the hell are the odds?"

"Odds of what?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Seifer. Seifer's the stalker flirting. Goddammit! Tell Roxas not to worry – I'll handle it." Xigbar said before groaning, "What a dick."

"Your roommate Seifer? Seriously?" Kairi laughed, "Nice. Well, I'll let Roxas know, but I don't see why this is a big deal. Seifer seemed nice."

"Seifer's a dick. He tends to fuck 'em and drop 'em. Slam, bam, thank you ma'am." Xigbar said bluntly. "Don't worry – I won't let him mess up Roxas's friend."

Kairi nodded. "Thanks, then." She said. "Hayner's straight, though, if I remember right."

Xigbar snorted. "That's never stopped Seifer before. He takes a certain maniacal glee in 'converting' people."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "That is… interesting. He didn't seem like the type."

"He was on his best behavior when you were over – trust me, he's more than capable of being an ass. Don't worry, Red, I'll handle it." Xigbar said, squeezing her hand.

"Sounds good." Kairi smiled, "Thanks."

Xigbar winked. "Gotta protect the dessert god, right?" More seriously, he said, "No problem, Red."

XXXX

Seifer was sitting in the living room of their apartment when Xigbar walked through the door late that evening.

"This kid you're messing with? You need to stop." Xigbar said, crossing his arms and standing in front of Seifer.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because he's friends with Roxas and I am not making my girlfriend's friends pissed at me or losing his cooking for your sick and twisted games." Xigbar said.

"You've never cared about my extracurricular activities before." Seifer commented.

"They've never threatened my happiness before. I'm serious, Seif. You need to back off of Hayner." Xigbar said firmly.

"I'm not going to hurt your precious dessert god." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"You will if you fuck with his best friend. You don't know how to have a real relationship with someone – it's a game until they break and you find a new toy. And I'm telling you, you can't use Hayner as your next toy. Find someone else." Xigbar said.

Seifer rolled his eyes again. "You're acting like this is going to threaten your relationship with Kairi."

"Kairi's best friend is Sora. Sora's brother is Roxas. Roxas's best friend is Hayner. Yeah, see why I'm worried?" Xigbar snarkily said.

"You're paranoid. That's what you are." Seifer shrugged.

"Promise me. Swear right now you won't break him." Xigbar demanded.

"What's going on?" Leon asked, walking in.

"The kid Seifer's fucking with is connected to my girlfriend and this asshole won't back off him. Goddammit, Seifer!" Xigbar yelled.

"Hey, stop yelling." Leon said. "The neighbors'll get pissed. Sefier, just find a new kid to mess with."

"If I say I'll find someone else, will that make you happy?" Seifer rolled his eyes. "Fuck, it's not this huge of a deal."

"It wouldn't be if you didn't break every single person you play with!" Xigbar snapped.

"Seifer, just promise you'll find someone else." Leon said.

"Fine. Fuck. I promise I'll find someone else." Seifer grumbled.

"Good. Because if you break him anyway and Rox comes here to kill you, I'm letting him in." Xigbar warned.

Seifer rolled his eyes.

"I'll be in my room." Xigbar stalked to his room and slammed the door.

"You'd think I'd set my eyes on his girlfriend." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"You promised him, Seifer. Be careful. Xig looks pissed enough that you could lose him as a friend over this." Leon warned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll find someone else." Seifer said.

"Good." Leon nodded, leaving.

"Eventually." Seifer added after his roommates left, with a small smirk to himself.

XXXX

Me: Seifer's a diiiiiiick. No, seriously.

Jasmine: He's also yours. So, really, Hayner should be saying that.

Me: I have no delusions that I'm not writing him. I'm fully aware of the fact that he's a dick because I write him that way. But that doesn't make him less of a dick.

Jasmine: -babbles about spoilers-

Me: Say things I can put in the author's note.

Jasmine: I don't know!

Me: But seriously, that's my entire comment for everything involving Seifer from now on. Seifer's a dick. Hope you enjoyed!

Jasmine: Please review! :D


	25. Saix Is Magic

Hi everyone, Jasmine here. This will be the last on-time update, as the semester has started and brought with it long hours of reading and essay-writing and test-studying. We only have the next three chapters done, so we are going to try to stagger them a bit and aim for once or twice a month updates - I know, that sucks - until we find more time to write. Sorry. Please be patient with us. You should be comforted knowing these characters live in our heads and drive us crazy until we write them, so hopefully the waiting won't be too long.

This is a bit of a time skip, as it starts with the trial. Hope you like it!

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

The day of the trial was exactly a week after Demyx first left, and that morning, Axel, Roxas, Larxene, Cloud, and Zexion were in a small room, awaiting the arrival of Leon and Demyx. Leon had offered to go pick up Demyx, since he had a feeling the younger boy wouldn't want to get a ride with the parents he was trying to escape.

Roxas squeezed Axel's hand. "It'll be fine." He murmured.

Zexion tapped his foot rapidly, staring straight ahead, internally panicking but under absolutely no circumstances was he to allow himself to externerally panic – he had been warned repeatedly that that could hurt their case and he wanted to win because he wanted Demyx back.

Cloud turned at the sound of the door and smiled softly, "Leon's here."

Sure enough, Leon walked in a minute later. This would be his first introductions to Cloud's roommates (besides the phone call the other day).

Cloud hugged him briefly. "Where's Demyx?"

Not visible to anyone not looking for it, Zexion flinched before taking a breath and bracing himself.

"Talking to Saix." Leon answered. "He'll be a few minutes." Turning to Zexion, Axel, and Roxas, he spoke. "I'm Leon, by the way."

Roxas smiled, offering his had. "I'm Roxas, Axel's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you. Everyone's a little tired and on edge, as you can imagine, but I promise they aren't usually this crazy."

Leon nodded, shaking Roxas's hand, "Yeah, I figured. Even Larxene's being quiet."

"I have no energy to respond to that." Larxene yawned.

Zexion glanced at him. "I recognize your voice… You're Leon, right?" He asked, managing to stop his tapping. For now.

Leon nodded, "Yes, I am. Zexion?" he guessed.

"Yes. That's me." Zexion tried to smile but couldn't quite do it.

Leon smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I promise you that I exist."

At that, Zex managed to smile. "Sorry about that. I'm not… handling this well."

Roxas nudged Axel. "Stay awake."

"I'm awake." Axel responded. "I'm…" he paused. "Okay, I'm sleeping on my feet. When did you come in?" he asked Leon.

"About five minutes ago." Leon answered.

Axel groaned. "Sorry…"

"It's fine." Leon chuckled. "I'm Leon."

"Oh, Cloud's boyfriend and Larxene's boss." Axel nodded. "Axel."

"Nice to meet you." Leon nodded.

Saix walked through the door. "It's time. Demyx is already inside. Let's go."

Roxas squeezed Axel's hand, and Cloud reached for Leon's. "Thank you." He said to Saix.

Zexion took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to see him. After everything… finally. Straightening, he set his face and started squaring numbers in his head. He needed to just get through this to win the case. After that… well, he'd worry about it when it happened.

XXXX

Cloud shook Saix's hand again. "Thank you for your help."

"It's my job." Saix said with a smirk.

"Still. Thank you." Cloud said.

Saix nodded and left as Cloud turned to Leon and Demyx. Roxas was guiding Axel and Larx to the car, now that they had won the case. Zexion was trailing after them, still refusing to even look at Demyx.

"Well, we did it. You're one of us, now. Officially." Cloud smiled, riffling Dem's hair.

"I know I've said it a million times, but _thank you_." Demyx said, looking more relaxed than he had in days.

"You're welcome. Let's get your stuff and go home." Cloud said, reaching for Leon's hand.

Leon took Cloud's hand, squeezing it. "Ready, then?"

Demyx nodded. "Yeah."

Some time later, they pulled up to the house. "Thanks, Leon. I'll call you later and we can set up that dinner." Cloud said before kissing his boyfriend.

"Sounds good." Leon nodded when they pulled apart. "See you later, Dem. Bye, Cloud." He said.

Demyx nodded. "Thanks, Leon." He said, grabbing a few of his bags, and a case that was vaguely shaped like a guitar as he hopped out of the backseat.

Cloud climbed out and grabbed the rest of the bags, waving at Leon as he drove away. Turning to Demyx, he offered him a smile of encouragement. "You ready?"

"Yes." Demyx answered. "Thank you, Cloud."

Cloud just shook his head and led him inside. As soon as they entered the room, Zexion was staring at Demyx.

Dropping the bags in their entrance area, Cloud muttered, "Unpack later." Before clapping Demyx on the shoulder and guiding him into the living room, where Axel, Larxene, and Roxas were on the couch and Zexion was in a chair.

"Oh, thank god." Larxene said, standing up. "I'm going to bed." She said, walking down the hall.

Demyx glanced at Zexion, guilt gnawing at him.

Axel grabbed Roxas's arm, "Time to pass out for seven days or so." He said as he dragged his boyfriend down the hall.

Before they disappeared into the hall, Roxas managed to smile at Demyx and say, "Welcome home."

Cloud sighed. "Well, I'm sure you two have a lot to figure out. If you need me, I'll be in my room. We're all glad you're back, Dem." Cloud squeezed his shoulder before leaving him alone with Zexion.

Slowly, Zexion stood up, looking Demyx over. He didn't look as bad as Axel and Larxene, which was good at least.

"Umm…" Demyx hesitated. "Hey."

Zexion crossed his arms, hugging himself. "Did you mean it?"

Demyx had a feeling he knew exactly what Zexion was talking about. "Yes."

"Then why?" Zexion asked.

"Why… did I leave?" Demyx guessed. "I wasn't going to let you get in trouble for letting me stay here, Zex… I tried to tell you, but I couldn't…"

"I could have done something. You wouldn't have had to leave at all. We… we were – I was – having fun one moment and then you were just… gone." Zexion said, staring at Demyx's feet, unable to look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry." Demyx said. "I didn't want to leave. I tried to tell you after we went out in the rain last week, but… I couldn't do it. I didn't want to… I didn't want to hurt you."

"Not hurt?" Zexion said, looking up with tears in his eyes. "I wake up and you're gone. And I read this note and you claim… you claim you like me. Me! But why didn't you trust me? I…" Zexion shook his head and quickly wiped at his eyes.

"Zex… I…" Demyx frowned, not sure what to say. "Nothing I said in that note was a lie, Zexion. I… didn't want to trouble you."

"But I thought you're supposed to trust the person you have feeling for. Isn't that… what a relationship is? I trust you…" Zexion said brokenly.

"I trusted you too." Demyx said. "I… it has nothing to do with trusting you, Zex – I just… I wasn't strong enough to telling."

"And now you're back. What does that mean? I wanted you back, but… do you even want to be here? How can you? I'm… so stupid. This whole week – I just fell apart. Did you…" Zexion broke off and whispered hoarsely, "Did you even think of me when it rained?"

"Of course I thought of you!" Demyx said, surprised. "And of course I want to be here. I… You are not stupid. I fell apart pretty badly this week too; we both did. But… I'm back now, and I'm here legally, and I don't… I don't want you to hate me. I'm sorry Zexion. Please forgive me."

"I don't hate you." Zexion said. "And I… I just want you back." Tears started flowing down his face and he squeezed himself tighter.

"Zex…" Demyx said, taking a step towards him.

Zexion stopped trying it hold it in and bolted towards him, clinging to him and knocking them both over. Locking his arms around his neck, Zexion let go and cried. "Don't go, Demyx…" He sobbed, holding him tighter.

Demyx wrapped his arms around him, "I'm not going anywhere."

Zexion was beyond words at this point, body shaking uncontrollably as he clung to the blonde. Slowly, he sobs died down into hiccups and he loosened his grip but didn't let go. "Don't leave." He whispered.

"I won't." Demyx promised.

Zexion pulled back enough to look at Demyx, ignoring his tear-stained cheeks as he didn't want to let go to wipe them just yet. He realized he was practically shitting in the blonde's lap and blushed lightly. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Demyx asked, almost overwhelmed to the point of laughter. "I'm the one that screwed up."

Zexion's blush deepened. "I'm sorry for crying on you. I probably shouldn't have done that…"

Demyx shook his head. "No. Don't apologize. It's fine." He promised. "Trust me – you can cry on me whenever you want."

Zexion rested his head on Demyx's shoulder. "I'm glad you're back." He whispered.

Demyx hugged him again. "Me too."

"I… just don't leave again, okay? I forgive you." Zexion pulled back and smiled tentatively.

Demyx smiled back, more relieved than he thought he'd be. "I won't. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good. That's good." Zexion wiped his face. "Larxene redid your room – it's our room, now. Two beds. Is that… okay?"

"Of course it is." Demyx said. "I was wondering why your bookshelves were out here."

"That's why. I'm… I'm really tired, actually. I didn't sleep much when you… weren't here." Zexion confessed.

"Then let's get some sleep." Demyx suggested. "I didn't sleep too well either." He admitted. He ignored the fact that it was probably only 2 or 3 in the afternoon – he was exhausted.

Zexion blushed, finally letting go of the blonde and moving to stand. "You can have the same bed you used before – if you want. I just… see that as _your_ bed now."

Demyx nodded. "Sure. That's fine. Thank you, Zexion." He said, standing up as well.

Zexion frowned now that they weren't touching anymore. "For what?"

"Everything." Demyx smiled at him.

"I didn't do anything…" Zexion muttered, leading the way into their room and sitting on his new bed. "Cloud and Larx and Ax did everything. And now… I should be thanking you. For coming back. And for… wanting to. For me."

Demyx smiled. "You did plenty, Zex." He insisted. "And… uh… you're welcome for the second half, I guess." He said, not sure what else to say as he sat down on Zexion's – _his_ – bed.

Zexion stretched out on the bed, throwing a blanket over himself. "I'm sorry I'm so tired. I know I said it a lot, but… please don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Demyx said, lying down on the bed exhausted.

"Good night, Demyx." Zexion whispered with a smile.

"Good night." Demyx answered.

XXXX

Hayner sighed and sat down on a bench outside, rubbing his hands together for warmth and because they were a little cramped – he had just finished a big medieval history test and was just taking the extra time he had before his next class (he had finished the test early) to just relax.

"Hey." Seifer commented, stopping instead of passing by. "You look tired."

"Just finished a huge test." Hayner said, looking up at him.

"Ah." Seifer nodded. "Think you did well? History? You're good at history, right?"

"Yeah, history major." Hayner grinned. "And I'm pretty sure I kicked ass."

"Well good for you." Seifer smiled.

"Thanks. Where you heading?" Hayner asked.

"No where." Seifer shrugged. "Done with classes. Trying to decide if I should go home or hang out here a bit before work."

"You have a job _and_ classes? That must suck. Where you work" Hayner asked.

"The Box Depot." Seifer answered. "And it's not that bad. I'm just taking classes slower, since the job's full time."

"Ah. If you're going to hang here, sit down 'cause staring up at you is hurting my neck." Hayner said.

Seifer rolled his eyes before sitting down, "Sure thing, sweetheart."

Hayner blushed. "Don't start with me." He mumbled.

Seifer chuckled.

"What the hell kind of store is the Box Depot, anyway? What do you do?" Hayner asked, trying to ignore Seifer's laughing and turning to face him.

"I mostly just sit in the back and drink coffee." Seifer shrugged. "Xemnas, the boss, is too busy banging his secretary to care what we do."

"Okay then." Hayner wrinkled his nose before sneezing suddenly.

"Getting sick or getting a cold?" Seifer asked.

"I don't know. Probably. I like the winter and hardly ever wear a jacket, so I'm used to the occasional cold." Hayner shrugged.

"Ah, well, you should be more careful. Colds are fiercer than they look."

Hayner snorted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were concerned."

Seifer shrugged. "Who says I'm not?"

"Huh. Okay then." Hayner said, rubbing his hands over his arms.

Seifer rolled his eyes, shrugging his coat off and handing it to Hayner. "Here. I gotta leave for work in a minute anyway."

Hayner turned red in embarrassment. "I'm fine."

"Just take the coat, sweetheart." Seifer rolled his eyes.

By now Hayner's face resembled Axel's hair. "No. Who knows when I'll see you later to give it back? And you'll need it, it's gonna just keep getting colder. I'm –" He broke off with another sneeze.

"Put the coat on or I'll put it on for you." Seifer warned. "I've got other coats – actually, I think there's one in my car."

Hayner stood up. "If you have one in your car, I'll take it. Otherwise, I'll out run you. C'mon, where'd you park?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Alright, come on then. But at least put the coat on first."

Hayner hesitated, blushing lightly before sneezing again.

"Seriously, Hayner, put the coat on." Seifer crossed his arms.

Stubbornly, Hayner glared at the jacket on the bench. The wind picked up and he shuddered.

Seifer grumbled, grabbing Hayner's arm tightly, picking up the jacket and forcing it onto the younger boy.

Hayner yelped when Seifer grabbed him and tried stuffing him in the coat. "All right, all right, I'll put it on!" He snapped, pulling it from Seifer's grasp and putting it on, realizing it was still warm from Seifer's body heart and blushing. Without looking at the blonde next to him, he muttered, "Thanks."

"No problem. You still planning on following me to my car?" Seifer asked.

Hayner nodded. "You can have it back when we get there."

"I already told you I have another one. Keep it." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"But it's yours!" Hayner protested as they made their way to one of the campus parking lots.

"Yes and I gave it to you. Give it back to me later if you insist." Seifer said. "But otherwise, just keep it. It's no big deal.

Hayner opened his mouth to say something but sneeze again. Blushing and borrowing into the slightly oversized jacket, he muttered, "Thanks."

"No problem, sweetheart." Seifer chuckled. "Well, here's my car." Glancing in the back, he nodded. "And there's my extra jacket. Knew I had one."

"_Why_ do you keep calling me that?" Hayner snapped, trying to stop his face from heating up.

"Just a nickname." Seifer shrugged. "Just something I picked up from my roommate, I guess."

"Well, stop." Hayner muttered. "You make me sound like a girl or something."

"I'm not calling you a girl." Seifer said. "And I could potentially come up with something different. Can't guarantee the lack of girly in the next nickname, baby."

"No way!" Hayner protested, bright red. "What's wrong with me name?"

"Nothing's wrong with your name." Seifer shrugged.

"Then why do I need a nickname? You don't hear me calling you darling!" Hayner yelled.

"You could if you wanted to." Seifer shrugged. "I wouldn't mind."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Hayner sputtered.

Seifer laughed, "Well, I have to get to work." He said, unlocking his car. "So, we'll have to finish this little debate later, dear." Seifer teased, opening his door and getting in.

Hayner's jaw dropped. "Goddammit, stop _saying_ things like that!" He yelled, kicking the tire of the car.

Seifer just laughed, "See you later, Hayner." He said, shutting his car door and pulling out of his parking spot, driving away.

Hayner stared after the car. "Dammit." He muttered, pulling out his cell and checking the time before calling Roxas as he paced in the parking lot.

XXXX

Roxas grabbed for his phone when it started ringing, making Axel grown. "Sorry, Axel." He said, finally answering. "Hello?"

_"__Why__ does he keep __doing__ this?"_ Hayner demanded.

"Whoa, Hayner, I have no idea what you're talking about." Roxas said, mouthing "I'm sorry" to the now awake Axel.

Axel shook his head, yawning and sitting up, checking his own phone to figure out how long it had been since he fell asleep.

_"Seifer! I was sitting outside and – Sweetheart! He called me sweetheart! And baby! And dear!"_

Roxas laughed. "He's just teasing you – ignore it."

_"I can't – not when he looks at me like that when he says it, dammit. He gave me his jacket. And… it smells good."_ Hayner mumbled the last bit.

Roxas laughed again. "Good to know you think Seifer smells good."

Axel glanced over at Roxas, "What? Seifer what?"

Roxas rolled his eyes at Hayner's babbling, motioning to Axel he'd tell him in one minute.

_"But Rox! I shouldn't think it smells good! And it's warm… He called me sweetheart!"_ Hayner protested.

"Maybe you like his scent, Hay. And you've already said Seifer called you sweetheart – Axel called me that too when we were first flirting."

Over Hayner's outburst of _"Flirting?"_ Roxas told Axel, "Seifer's a friend of ours at school and he likes Hayner. Hayner's just unsure about flirting."

_"Unsure?"_ Hayner yelled.

"Seifer." Axel repeated. "Fuck. No. Not again."

"What?" Roxas asked.

_"I am __not__ unsure! Goddammit, Rox, I'm straight!"_ Hayner yelled.

"I _know_, Hay. Seif's just teasing. Hey, it was nice of him to give you his jacket. I bet you didn't wear one. Again. You wouldn't freak out if I gave you one of my jackets, right? Relax, he's your friend." Roxas said to Hayner, still looking questioningly at Axel.

Axel shook his head. "No. No" He said. "Tell him to stop. Tell him to _run_."

_"Yeah. Yeah, maybe… I'll talk to you later, Rox, I gotta get to my last class. Thanks."_ Hayner said.

"No problem." Roxas hung up. "Ax? What are you talking about? Who has to run? You okay?" Roxas sat next to him and studied him worriedly.

"Hayner has to run. You said Seifer's flirting with him?"

Roxas looked confused. "Yeah. It's okay, though – Hay likes him, too. He's just new at guy/guy relationships.

"Seifer doesn't like anyone. Seifer plays and fucks with people and then leaves them broken." Axel protested. "Tell Hayner to run as fast as he can!"

"Are you sure it's the same person?" Roxas asked skeptically. "Because I've _met_ Seifer and he's really nice. He stuck up for Hay and me on campus."

"How many people could possibly be called Seifer?" Axel asked. "Shit shit shit. Fucking Seifer."

"Well, when'd you know him? People change, ax. He seemed like a good guy." Roxas said, putting his hand on Axel's arm.

"Seifer is _not_ a good guy. It's been a few years, but this guy gets his amusement out of tearing people apart. You do _not_ want Hayner anywhere near him, trust me."

"Axel, you're sleep deprived. Seifer punched a guy calling me a fag. And he's only flirting with Hay." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sleep – I mean, I am, but that had nothing to do with this." Axel insisted. "Roxas, Seifer is bad news!"

"I've never head you mention him before, so just because you're not friends with him now doesn't make him a bad guy. You can't tell me who I can and cannot be friends with." Roxas stood, crossing his arms.

"I'm not!" Axel said. "But you can't be friends with Seifer!"

"Even _if_ Seifer's bad news, I can take care of myself. And I _can_ be friends with him because I _am_. Go back to sleep, Axel." Roxas said.

"Roxas! Seifer's a dick!" Axel said, looking a little terrified.

"Stop, Axel. Just stop. Call me when you're coherent and willing to listen and stop insulting my _friends_." Roxas said, grabbing his stuff and leaving the bedroom, calling Sora to come pick him up.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted, climbing out of his bed and chasing after him.

"Sora? I need you to come get me. Now." Roxas said into his cell, crossing the empty living room and ignoring Axel.

"Roxas…" Axel frowned.

Roxas hung up when Sora said he was on his way and pocketed his cell, pulling his jacket on.

Axel hesitated, grabbing Roxas's arm. "Roxas…" He repeated.

Roxas jerked out of his grip and yanked the door open. "Call me when you're not being an ass." He slammed the door behind him, moving down the driveway to wait for Sora.

"Fuck! Shit! Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Axel cursed.

Cloud walked into the living room. "_Please_ tell me no one ran away again."

After sputtering for a few moments, Axel blurted out, "Roxas! Seifer! _Seifer_!"

"Axel. That is not helpful. Where's Roxas? And Seifer's that kid you used to hang out with in high school, right? Did he kidnap Rox or something?" Cloud asked.

"Roxas left. Seifer's messing with Hayner and…" He cursed again, "Fuck."

"Okay… So you're pissed Seifer's with Hayner and failed to convey any logic when telling Roxas so he left?" Cloud guessed.

Axel just nodded.

"Right. Well, you're not coherent enough right now to do anything about it except make it worse. Go to sleep and when you wake up, we can figure out how to fix it, okay?" Cloud said.

Axel hesitated.

"…Axel?" Cloud asked.

"But…" Axel frowned.

"Go to sleep, Ax." Cloud grabbed his arm and started guiding him to his room.

Axel knew he needed to sleep, but that didn't change the fact that he had just pissed off his boyfriend.

"Roxas is smart. And he really, really likes you. Everything will be fine. But only if you sleep." Cloud said, pushing the redhead towards his bed.

Axel hesitated again, but nodded. "Right. You're right."

"Of course I am. Good night, Ax." Cloud said, shoving him onto the bed and heading for the door.

Axel was too tired to protest and drifted asleep.

Cloud sighed, softly closing the door behind him. Going to the kitchen, he scribbled a hasty note that he was going out and to call his cell in case of an emergency and left the house, setting his motorcycle in the direction of Leon's. He'd be early, but dammit he needed a break.

XXXX

Leon was sitting on the couch when the doorbell ran. Glancing at the clock, he stood up, walking over.

"Leon." Cloud sighed, smiling at him. "Sorry I'm early."

"No, it's fine." Leon said. "Is everything okay?"

"Roxas and Axel are fighting and Axel is not coherent enough to realize he needs to apologize. I put him to sleep and left before something else can happen." Cloud explained.

"I see…" Leon said, leading Cloud inside. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Cloud said, stepping closer. "I want someone to hug _me_ now though and not have to be the adult for five minutes."

"I can take care of that." Leon smiled, hugging Cloud.

"Thanks." Cloud murmured, burying his face in Leon's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Leon stood there with his arms around Cloud, content to let him relax as long as possible.

Cloud pulled back enough to look at Leon. "You've been amazing through all of this. Thank you."

"It's absolutely no problem at all." Leon promised. "You've been pretty amazing through all this too."

"Not really. I just… did what needed to be done." Cloud shrugged.

Leon smiled, "Well, you did amazing."

"Thanks." Cloud sighed. "So, where we going to eat?"

"The kitchen, if that's alright." Leon said. "Seifer and Xigbar are out for the night, so I cooked."

"You already cooked?" Cloud asked. "Have I mentioned how amazing you are lately?" He smiled.

Leon chuckled. "It's just finishing up, should be done in a few minutes if you're alright with waiting."

"Sure. Oh! You said you'd tell me – what did you tell Zexion on the phone earlier this week that convinced him we're good for each other and shut him up?" Cloud asked.

Leon just smirked, "Gotta check on the food." He said, heading to the kitchen.

"Leon!" Cloud laughed, following him. "Why won't you tell me?"

"I'll tell you eventually." Leon winked.

"I don't know whether to be worried or not." Cloud shook his head.

Leon laughed. "You have nothing to worry about if it satisfied Zexion."

"Hmm… And you'll tell me some day?"

"I'm sure I will."

Cloud smiled. "Okay." He stepped up to Leon, hugging him again.

Leom smiled, hugging him back.

Cloud kissed him and smiled. "So how are _you_ doing? Sorry I keep dumping everything on you. I owe you a lot for your help."

Leon smiled. "I've been fine. And you don't own me anything, Cloud." He assured him.

"I don't mind making it up to you. Maybe we can take a vacation for Christmas, just the two of us?" Cloud suggested.

Leon smiled. "Sure, that sounds good."

Cloud smiled. "Yeah, it does." He leaned into Leon.

Leon smiled again. The sound of a timer going off interrupted their moment, though.

Cloud chuckled. "I'll set the table."

"Thanks." Leon grinned.

Cloud nodded, quickly setting the table and sitting down, waiting for Leon to serve the food. He'd have to check on everyone at the house eventually, but right now he could just enjoy some quiet time with Leon.

XXXX

And now everyone's happy again! Well, except for Roxas and Axel. Poor Axel. He's so tired. And poor Roxas. He's so frustrated. :D

Please review! We'll try our best to maintain some kind of updating schedule - don't worry, this story won't completely die during the semester, but it will significantly slow down. See you next chapter! :D


	26. Stars

When Axel woke up the next morning, what had happened the day before finally clicked into place. Burying his face in his pillow, he groaned. "I'm such an idiot…"

It took him a minute, but he finally got up, heading into the living room.

"How you felling?" Cloud asked when he saw him.

"Better. But I'm now faced with a problem." Axle said.

Larxene, who had been sitting in the room as well, looking over. "What's up, Scarlet? You look like shit."

"Oh, thanks." Axel rolled his eyes.

"So what're you gonna do?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know. I need to apologize." Axel answered.

"That's probably a good idea." Cloud agreed.

"Okay, wait. What happened?" Larxene asked.

Axel frowned. "Pissed Roxas off."

"So apologize. Roxas will forgive you." Larxene shrugged.

"His friend Hayner's involved with Seifer." Axel added.

Larxene blinked, leaning forward. "_What_? Shit. That sucks."

"I wasn't coherent enough to explain why this is a bad thing and instead just pissed Roxas off." Axel said. "It's gonna take a hell of a huge apology to make up for that."

Cloud groaned. "So basically you just told him he can't hang out with Seifer? Yeah, I can't see him taking that well."

"Yeah." Axel said. "But Seifer's bad news. We told you the story, right Cloud?"

Cloud nodded. "So what're you going to do?" He repeated.

"I need an apology that will _make_ him forgive me and get him to listen." After a pause, "And I think I have an idea. But I need both of you to help."

XXXX

Roxas walked out of class and headed to the parking lot to find Sora.

A horn beeped as he walked in and Larxene's head stuck out of the window, "Hey! Roxas! Over here!"

Roxas walked over. "Hey, Larx, what're you doing here?"

"I asked Sora if I could come pick you up. I wanted to talk to you." Larxene answered.

Roxas sighed and nodded. "About Axel? How's he doing?"

"I'll tell you. Get in the car." Larxene said.

Roxas nodded. "All right, but I really don't feel like seeing him right now. Okay?" He walked around the car and climbed in the front seat.

"That's fine. We're not going to the house." Larxene promised, starting the car.

"Good. So… how is he? And how's Dem and Zex? They work everything out?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, they're fine now." Larxene answered. "And Axel…" She trailed off.

Roxas sighed. "Yeah… I thought so. Hey, where _are_ we going?"

Larxene glanced into the rearview mirror and Cloud sprang forward, quickly blindfolding Roxas.

"What the hell?" Roxas yelled, trying to take it off.

Cloud stopped him. "Just trust us, Rox."

Larxene sped up, pulling onto the highway. "Just relax. We'll be there soon."

XXXX

"My brother's _where_?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow at Axel.

"At Zexion's summer house." Axel repeated. "For three days with my roommates."

"Who kidnapped him." Sora added.

"Yes."

Sora sighed. "Right. I should be more worried."

"Larx and Cloud will take care of him. I need to come and go from his bedroom for those three days. I'm attempting an apology."

"By kidnapping him." Sora said.

"Well. Yes. I guess." Axel said.

Sora groaned. "Give me the address of where he is so Riku and I can drive by and make sure he's okay? We won't steal him back."

Axel rattled off the address and Sora wrote it down.

"Alright, well. Try not to destroy Roxas's room." Sora said.

"I won't." Axel promised. "Thanks, Sora." He dashed up the stairs. Sora rolled his eyes, leaving to call Riku.

XXXX

Riku studied the massive house they were currently parked in front of. It was three stories and had a wrap-around porch, and was quite a ways from any neighbors, nestled out in the country. "This is it?"

"This is the address Axel gave me." Sora nodded, "So, I hope so. I don't know him well enough to know if he'd just send us somewhere random." He grabbed his phone and stepped out of the car, shutting his door behind him.

Riku climbed out too. "I don't think he would. Maybe. Did he tell you why Roxas was taken out here?"

"He just said he was attempting to apologize." Sora said, "And needed access to his bedroom." he added as an afterthought, walking around the car to take Riku's hand. "Either way, I'll feel better lying to my mother when she asks where Roxas is if I know he's safe."

Riku nodded and squeezed Sora's hand. "We'll find him. And if you don't want him staying here, he won't. Okay? Looks like someone's here, at least, since there's another car here. Let's try knocking first."

"Sounds good to me." Sora nodded, the two of them heading for the door.

Riku knocked and the silence was broken by the sounds of pounding feet.

"Please be someone sane!" Roxas shouted as he threw open the door, Cloud on his heels.

"Goddammit, Roxas, you can't just leave - you'll get lost out here!" Cloud yelled.

"Sora! Thank god!" Roxas said, hugging his brother.

Sora laughed, "You seem to be in one piece. That's good." he commented.

"Okay, what's going on?" Larxene asked, walking into the front area where the door was. "Oh. Hi."

"Sora! They kidnapped me! You're going to take me home, right?" Roxas asked, looking hopefully at his brother.

Cloud sighed. "Roxas, it wasn't kidnapping. You willingly got in the car. We're just on a little... vacation."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly is Roxas on "vacation"?"

"Roxas is on vacation because he's on vacation." Larxene answered, "And he's not going anywhere."

Sora sighed, "Well, can we at least come in?" he asked, "Since we're kind of just standing in the doorway here?"

Cloud nodded. "That's fine." He waited for the couple to drag a reluctant Roxas back inside before closing the door. "Kitchen's this way." He led them to the kitchen, taking a seat at the large table.

"Maybe if we run we can make it." Roxas whispered.

"No, you won't." Cloud said.

"Rox, let's wait to form the escape plans until after we hear them out, okay?" Riku laughed, sitting down and pulling Sora with him.

Sora chuckled, "Right. So, explanations would be nice."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "We were told to bring him out here so he could have a mini vacation. Relax a little."

"After everything going on at our house lately, we figured everyone could use a break. Dem has to keep going to school and Zex isn't ready to let him out of his sight yet, but Larx and I could take the time to come up and Axel insisted we take Roxas since he's been so helpful." Cloud explained. "I'm hoping you know at least a little what's been going on?" He asked.

Sora nodded, "Yeah, the basics." he nodded. "That makes sense."

Cloud nodded.

"When did Axel decide this? Before or after he became a sleep-deprived ass?" Roxas asked.

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Before. We'd been planning on coming up as soon as everything was over for awhile, and Axel suggested we bring you."

Roxas sighed. "He did? Even though he's the one stressed out and over-tired?"

Cloud nodded again. "He was worried about you."

Roxas put his face in his hands. "And I picked a fight with him..."

"Don't beat yourself up, Rox. Sounds like you both could use a break anyway." Riku said, shifting Sora more comfortably on his lap.

"Worry about it when you get back. For now, looks like you get to relax." Sora said, shifting and glancing back at Riku to see if his new position was a little better.

Riku smiled at the brunette in his lap and tightened his hold on him.

"Okay. But I don't get why I can't know where we are." Roxas said.

"We didn't know if you would realize you need this break as much as we do so by making it so you don't really know where you are, you're forced to stay and at least try to relax." Cloud explained, glancing at Larxene.

Larxene just nodded, "Exactly."

Roxas sighed. "How long?"

"Three days." Larxene answered, "We promise we'll bring you home safe and sound." she rolled her eyes.

"And you're okay with this?" Roxas asked his brother.

Sora nodded, "Yep. You need the vacation, Rox." he shrugged.

"What about Mom?" The smaller blonde at the table asked.

"I'll handle Mom, but I don't think she'll mind." Sora rolled his eyes.

Roxas nodded. "Okay. Then I guess... I'm staying here for a few days. Please tell me you know where the nearest grocery store is." He said to Cloud and Larxene.

Cloud chuckled. "Yeah. But what are you saying, our cooking is bad? You haven't even had it yet!"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I need baking supplies."

Sora laughed, "Well, doesn't look like he'll be trying to escape anymore." he commented.

"Good." Larxene said, "It's hardly relaxing to chase after him."

Cloud gave her a look. "You weren't even the one chasing him!"

Larxene stuck her tongue out at him and smirked, "That's not the point."

Riku laughed. "So, whose house is this, anyway?"

"Zexion's." Cloud answered. "Well, technically his parent's house. It's one of their summer homes."

"I didn't know he was rich." Riku responded.

Roxas shrugged. "He doesn't really act it."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Why did you guys choose a summer home to go to in the beginning of winter?" he asked.

"It's closer than the one winter house not currently occupied by Zex's parents." Cloud explained.

"Ah." Sora nodded.

"Did you want to stay for a bit, Sora, or leave now that you know Rox is safe?" Riku asked, rubbing his boyfriend's back.

"Doesn't matter." Sora answered, "We can get out of your hair and let you three relax if you want." Sora answered, leaning into Riku just slightly.

Roxas smirked. "Are you sure it isn't us who needs to leave you two alone?"

Sora raised an eyebrow, "You sure you've been paying any attention?" he asked, amused, "It's not like we haven't been sitting like this the whole time."

"I've just never seen you so... cuddley. I mean, it's only Riku, but I just never thought you'd actually realize anything and now that you two are together, it's a little creepy. In an 'I'm-happy-for-you-but-I've-known-you-too-long-and-the-cuteness-burns-my-eyes' kind of way." Roxas said.

Sora smirked, leaning into Riku again and giving him a kiss, just to spite his brother (though he will admit that he never passed up an opportunity to kiss Riku.)

Riku felt bad for Roxas for half a second before pulling Sora closer and kissing him back, not letting him break the kiss for several minutes.

"I don't - and you just - I can't - Sora?" Roxas sputtered as Cloud laughed at the sight of the look of shock on the other blonde's face.

Larxene burst into laughter as well, smirking wickedly.

Finally, Riku pulled back, staring into Sora's eyes and smiling at the look he got back. He kissed him again, just because he could, before forcing himself to stop.

Sora turned back to Roxas once they were done to see the damage that his impromptu makeout session with Riku had sparked.

Roxas kept glancing between the two before settling his gaze on his brother, face burning red in embarrassment for him. "Sora? What the hell? Since when are you the one kissing guys?"

"I'm not kissing _guys_, I'm kissing _a _guy. Riku." Sora shrugged, "Kairi had a less amusing reaction than you."

"Kairi didn't just watch her sexually confused brother make out with his best friend turned boyfriend!" Roxas protested. "Damn. Don't do that again. Do you get creeped out when I kiss a guy in front of you? 'Cause now that I'm on the other side, I'm sorry."

Sora laughed, but didn't answer, neither to promise not to kiss Riku again in front of him or say whether or not Roxas's kissing habits creeped him out. Instead, he glanced at Riku, "Alright, well, we'll let you guys get to your vacationing."

"Fine. Leave. You don't get any cake." Roxas grumbled.

Cloud laughed. "More for me, then!"

Riku smiled at Sora and nodded.

Sora chuckled again, "I'll just get cake from you later." he said, smirking and standing up so Riku could get up.

Riku stood quickly and took Sora's hand. "Have a good vacation, Rox. If you guys need anything out here, we could always take another ride out."

Cloud nodded. "Thanks, but I think we'll be good. It's only three days."

Roxas stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Wait, I just thought of something - I kinda need more clothes and stuff if I'm staying here."

"Actually already taken care of." Larxene spoke, "Axel gave me an approximate estimate of your size, so I bought you some stuff." she shrugged.

"Stuff. As in, clothes. Full outfits. Boxers." Roxas stated.

Cloud smirked. "I grabbed those, don't worry."

Roxas looked relieved. "Good."

Larxene laughed.

Amused, Sora spoke up again, "I'll pay you guys back for the clothes later." he said.

Larxene shook her head, "Don't worry about it. We told you before, Zexion's family is loaded."

"You used your roommate's money to buy Roxas clothes?" Sora asked.

"Yep." Larxene nodded.

"Zexion knew what we were doing and he has willingly given us each access to his funds just in case. We aren't stealing from him or using him for his money - he trusts us because we're his family just like he's ours." Cloud said.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, Axel's told me some stories about you guys. Don't worry, Sora, Zexion really doesn't mind this type of thing."

Sora nodded, "Alright..."

"Let's go." Riku said, tugging on Sora's hand.

Roxas smiled. "See you... Sunday? Sunday."

"Have fun." Sora waved, squeezing Riku's hand and heading for the door with him.

"I promise he'll be returned in one piece. Although, I can't guarantee any left over desserts." Cloud grinned, following after them to make sure the door was shut once they left.

"Eh, I live with Roxas, so I'll manage." Sora smiled, "Thanks, Cloud."

Cloud nodded. More seriously, he said, "You're welcome. He'll be fine here and it'll give him time to just breathe. We've been running on fumes for a few days now and I'm sure being around our stress hasn't helped decrease any of his."

Sora nodded, "Yeah, that's understandable. Thanks."

Cloud smiled. "Thank Axel - it was his idea. Have a safe drive back."

"We will, thanks." Riku said, leading Sora out of the house. Cloud closed the door behind them as they climbed back into the car. Riku reached for Sora's hand again before he could start it, though. "You okay with this?"

Sora nodded, "Yeah. I know they were mostly lying to Roxas-Axel told me this had something to do with an apology-but either way, Roxas really does need the break."

"All right. It seems like Cloud and Larxene will watch out for him, though. They must be really close to Axel, to agree to essentially babysit his boyfriend for a weekend." Riku commented.

"From what I've heard, that entire house is family." Sora said, starting up the car, "Like... do absolutely anything for each other family."

"Really? That's... odd. I mean, it's great but at the same time, it kinda makes you wonder where their real families are, you know? Still, I like Axel - he's a good guy." Riku said as Sora headed out onto the road, taking his hand again.

Sora nodded, squeezing Riku's hand as he started to drive, "Yeah, definitely. Looked distraught when he came to tell me where Roxas was. I hope this apology thing works out for him, too, since I know Roxas likes him."

Riku grinned. "That's good because Axel's completely head-over-heels for your brother. I have a feeling he'll be around for a long time."

Sora laughed, "Probably."

"We should do something together, the four of us. See a game on campus, maybe, since you and Rox still go there and I'm pretty sure Axel graduated from there, too." Riku said.

"Sure." Sora nodded, "Sounds good to me. Maybe we should lighten up on the PDA so we don't kill my brother, though. As amusing as that was, I don't really want him dead."

"Whatever you want, Sora." Riku smiled.

As they stopped at a light, Sora turned to smile back.

XXXX

"C'mon, let's go!" Cloud yelled, heading for the car.

"Finally!" Roxas muttered, climbing in. "Great mini vacation and all, if you ignore the kidnapping."

"It's not kidnapped if you cooperate." Cloud mentioned.

"And after all the struggling, you kind of cooperated." Larxene reminded him.

Roxas just sighed.

XXXX

"Sora! I'm home!" Roxas called as he walked into his house.

"Living room!" Sora called back.

Roxas walked in and sat down. "Hey. Hi, Riku."

Riku smiled. "Hey, Roxas. Have fun?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I guess. Even on vacation I end up doing all the cooking."

"That's just because you didn't want to eat anyone else's cooking." Sora rolled his eyes.

Roxas grumbled. "I'm exhausted. I'll be in my room." He stood up.

Riku glanced at Sora but just shrugged. "Okay."

"Get some rest." Sora suggested.

Roxas nodded, heading up to his room. He opened the door and frowned, as the lights were on. He turned to the switch and jumped. "Holy crap!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, hi." Axle hesitated. He was standing by the light switch, having been waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked, looking around his room. Something was different… Glancing up, he gasped. His boring white ceiling was now covered in a gorgeous painting of clouds in the sky. Roxas turned to his boyfriend. "Axel…?"

Axel smiled. "I wanted to apologize." He said.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Roxas said, stepping towards him.

Axel reached over and flipped the lights before Roxas could get any closer, plunging the room into darkness.

Roxas's jaw dropped. Hidden in the clouds were glow-in-the-dark stars. Slowly, Roxas spun in a circle, eyes glues to the ceiling.

"You remembered what I'd said about wanting to lie in bed and look at the stars? Axel…" Roxas trailed off, finally lowering his gaze to the redhead.

"I was planning on saving this idea for Christmas, but… I wanted to apologize to you. So, Cloud and Larx took you away for a few days while I did this." Axel turned the lights back on. "It's just glow-in-the-dark paint, but I hope it looks okay." He smiled. "I'm sorry, Rox. I wasn't coherent enough to explain myself."

"Axel…" Roxas stepped over to him, hugging him. "It's really beautiful. Thank you. This is the best Christmas present eve. And I'm sorry, too. With everything going on with Dem and Zex, I knew you weren't sleeping. I shouldn't have gotten so mad."

Axel shook his head. "No I was being an ass. But if you'll give me chance, I did have a reason for being an ass, and I would like to explain it."

Roxas nodded. "Okay."

"A long time ago, like… freshman year of high school, Seifer and I were friends. This is back when Larx and I were dating, to give you an idea of how long ago it was. I had another friend, Philip, and Seifer decided he was interested in him. Philip was very straight and so, I didn't even think anything of it, figuring Seifer would give up. But, he didn't. And he… well, he liked to use the word 'converted' Philip. They started sating and everything seemed fine, but two weeks later, Seifer dropped him and set his sights on someone else, despite the fact that Philip had literally changed sexualities for him."

"He just broke up with him like that?" Roxas asked, frowning.

"Yes. Dropped him without a second thought." Axel said. "I went to talk to him – figure out what happened… and Seifer didn't even realize what he'd done. He got some… sick amusement out of converting Philip, and once he'd done that, he had no more use for him. Philip didn't know what to do. It was freshman year, he didn't know anything about this shit. It turned into a huge blowout between me and Seifer, and Philip never really recovered."

"…And you think he's doing the same thing to Hayner. Dammit, I was practically pushing Hay at him, too…" Roxas said.

"The pieces fit, right. Hayner's straight, or at least he thinks he is, and yet Seifer's still flirting." Axel said. "I know he has not stopped his games – the police arrested a woman outside his apartment that wanted to kill him. Recognized her – she was a formerly lesbian worker at the Magic Moogle. That was… maybe two months ago."

"Shit. I'm going to have to talk to Seif. If I tell Hayner now, it'll just confirm his paranoia. Thanks, Ax. I'm sorry I wasn't listening before." Rox frowned.

"I wasn't making any sense before." Axel said. "I was literally just babbling. I'm the one who's sorry."

Roxas shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. God, Ax, you really went all out – this is amazing. I'll take care of Hayner. Thank you for the stars – it's the best Christmas present I've ever gotten." Roxas smiled, hugging his boyfriend.

Axel hugged him back. "Thank you, but this wasn't your Christmas present." He said. "It's just an apology."

Roxas pulled back. "No way. You don't have to do _more_, not after this! Axle, this is huge – it's way more than an 'I'm sorry'."

Axel shrugged. "Well, that's what it was." He smiled.

Roxas just shook his head and smiled. He stood on his tip toes and kissed Axel. "Thank you. I…" He blushed lightly but smiled. "I love you."

Axel faltered slightly. "I love you, too, Roxas." He said, surprised to hear him say it so soon into the relationship even if Axel returned his feelings.

Roxas's grin widened even as his blush deepened. "Really?"

"Of course." Axel answered. "Do you really think I'd make my roommates commit a felony so I could paint your room if I didn't?" He raised an eyebrow.

Roxas laughed. "It's not a felony if I cooperated." He said, quoting Cloud from earlier. He kissed Axel again. "I love you. Thank you."

"I love you too. You're welcome." Axel answered.

"Yes, yes, love all around, now can we see what we went through the last three days for?" A female voice asked from outside the door.

Axel opened the door to see Larxene, Cloud, Riku, and Sora all waiting there.

Roxas blushed and grabbed onto Axel. "Uh…"

"The ceiling, huh? Not bad." Cloud said.

Riku winked at Roxas. "I'm happy for you, Rox." He squeezed Sora's hand.

"Wait for it." Axel said, slipping the lights, revealing the stars.

"You hit that one on the head." Sora commented. "Very nice." He leaned into Riku.

Roxas grinned. "It's perfect."

Cloud nodded, smiling at Axel. "Good work."

"Yeah, good job, Scarlet." Larxene grinned.

"Thanks." Axel turned the lights back on.

XXXX

Xigbar glanced up from the TV at the sound of a knock at the door. Standing, he crossed and pulled it open. "Roxas? What are you doing here? How did you even know where I live? Is Kairi okay?"

Roxas nodded. "She's fine, she gave me the address and I need to talk to Seifer. He home?"

Xigbar groaned. "He didn't back off of Hayner, did he."

Roxas scowled. "No. Now where is he?"

Xigbar opened the door and pointed at Seifer's bedroom. "In there. If you kill him, try to make it soundless or the neighbor's will complain. I'll be in my room, which is over there." He pointed again, closing the door behind the blonde.

"Thanks." Roxas strode over to Seifer's bedroom door and threw it open, not bothering to knock.

Seifer raised an eyebrow as he looked over, "Uh, hi." he said, crossing his arms, "What are you doing here?"

Roxas closed the door behind him, leaning against it. "Funny story, I had a chat with my boyfriend today and found out some interesting things about you."

Seifer turned his desk chair around, "And?"

"And my boyfriend is Axel." Roxas stated. "Remember him? And he told me all about the games you love to play. What the hell, Seifer? I thought you were a good guy - I've been practically shoving Hayner at you. Well, not anymore. Pick someone else because I am not letting you hurt him."

Seifer grumbled, "This again? Seriously?" he asked.

Roxas scowled at him. "Yes, seriously." He snapped. "Hayner's confused as it is - he doesn't need his first relationship with a guy to turn out as horribly as all your other 'partners'."

Seifer sighed, "Look, Roxas, I've already been 'warned' by Xigbar about what he's going to do to me if this blows up or I do anything 'stupid.'" His tone implied that Seifer really didn't understand the problem, and he was only saying these things to placate Roxas. "I'm being more careful this time."

"Why would Xigbar care? Kairi must've said something..." Roxas frowned. "And I'm not sure being 'careful' is enough. Hayner needs a solid relationship, not a stint as your boy toy."

Staring Roxas in the eyes, Seifer spoke, "I'm not going to break Hayner." he said, slowly, trying to be as clear as possible.

"Do you..." Roxas hesitated before continuing, "Is it just the thrill of convincing him he's gay or do you like him at all?"

"I'm not talking about this." Seifer said, "Hayner's not gonna get hurt. Happy?"

Roxas sighed and slumped against the door. "Not really. Pretend no one warned you about hurting him, pretend you didn't know me and he hadn't stalked you because he's an idiot, do you think he's gay?"

Seifer shrugged, "I don't know. I think he might be. I know he's confused and I'm not helping." he shrugged again, seeming slightly pleased about the 'not helping' part.

"That much, at least, I know. He has a crush on you. Which is why I was so worried about this, but... before anyone told me anything about you, I thought you were a good guy. You stood up for me when you didn't have to, didn't know me. The past can predict the future, but sometimes... the past is just the past. So, you won't hear anything more from me about this. Unless, of course, Hayner gets hurt and comes crying to me." Roxas said with a tentative smile.

Seifer sighed, before offering Roxas a smile, "Right. Thanks."

Roxas grinned. "Sorry for bursting into your room."

Seifer shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Xigbar told me flat out that he'd let you in." he shrugged.

Roxas opened the door to leave, but paused and glance over his shoulder. "Oh, and Seifer? The jacket was a nice touch. See you around." He left, heading for the door to the apartment.

Seifer just shook his head, turning back to his desk.

XXXX

Jasmine here. I know, this is supposed to be Cami's A/N, but we are in the process of writing a very... sensitive scene even as I write this and the character Cami's currently writing has taken over her brain so she can't think coherently enough for anything else.

So you're stuck with me. :P

This chapter is just adorable. I feel like I have to point out the ninja-ness of Cloud and reassure you that no, Cloud isn't a ninja. :D

Also, I want Axel to be my boyfriend! :D He's so freaking cute and I want my ceiling to be painted like that!

Also also, Seifer. Ahhh, Seifer. :D

Anyways... Hope you liked it! Please review! :D


	27. Hi, Ground My Name Is Hayner

As Demyx flipped through TV channels, he glanced at Zexion, who was sitting next to him, "Just lemme know if there's something you want to watch."

Zexion shrugged. "Whatever you choose will be fine."

Demyx nodded, "Well, still." he said, flipping through a few more before finally settling on something and glancing at Zexion for approval.

Zexion smiled at him, shifting a little closer.

Demyx smiled back.

Cloud walked in and sat down into one of the chairs, glancing at the TV. "What're you guys up to?"

"Relaxing." Zexion stated.

Demyx nodded as well, "Not really sure what we're watching, though. Was the only reasonably good thing I could find on TV."

Cloud nodded. "That's usually the case. So what do you want for your birthday this year, Zex?"

Demyx glanced over at Zexion, "When's your birthday?" he asked, surprised.

"November 18. This Thursday. And you know I don't need anything, Cloud." Zexion said.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I asked what you wanted, not needed. Why do you still fight it? You know we're all going to get you something and celebrate another year of having you around."

"And you know that I don't need presents or a party to be happy." Zexion retorted.

Demyx was silent, formulating ideas and pulling thoughts together even as Cloud and Zexion bantered.

"We do it for fun." Cloud said. "Don't you like having fun with us?"

Zexion sighed. "Do we have to have the same argument every year?"

"Yes." Cloud grinned. "It's a tradition of ours by this point - why break it now?"

Zexion smiled and shook his head. "Demyx? Are you okay?"

Demyx smiled, "Yep, I'm fine." he said. "Mind if I steal Cloud for a minute? I have to ask him a question."

Zexion frowned. "Why can't you just ask him now?"

"Because it's about your birthday and has to be a surprise." Demyx winked, "We'll be two minutes."

"You don't have to do anything for my birthday!" Zexion protested. "It's just another day."

"Well, it's the first birthday I'm spending with you." Demyx reminded him.

"Yes, but-" Zexion started.

Cloud cut him off. "C'mon, Dem. We'll be right back, Zex, promise." Cloud stood and headed for his room. Zexion looked panicked as Demyx stood up to follow him, foot tapping on the floor anxiously.

"I'll be right back." Demyx promised, before following Cloud to his room.

Cloud closed the door behind him. "You've got about two minutes before he starts seriously panicking out there."

"I know." Demyx said, "Did you guys have anything planned for his birthday yet?"

"Not that I know of. Why? Got an idea?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, but..." he frowned, "I don't know if you guys will go for it."

"Are you thinking older or younger? Because for his sixteenth birthday, Axel hired a clown." Cloud smirked.

Demyx laughed, "Nice. I was thinking we could maybe take him to The Happy Funtime Place." he said, "But I don't know how well Zex will do with the crowd of kids there." he added, as an afterthought. "What do you think? It's not like we can rent the whole place out or something..."

Cloud grinned. "That's a great idea! We haven't been there yet... And of course we can rent the place, it'll be more fun that way and won't embarrass him as much."

"How can we rent the place?" Demyx asked, surprised.

Cloud gave Dem a look. "You really haven't been here with us that long, huh? Ax, Larx, and myself all have unlimited credit linked to Zex's fortune. His parents think if they give him access to this huge amount of money, it can replace them actually getting involved in his life. So, we use the money for household things but also for wild and fun things like this. He didn't have a childhood, we're making it right now."

Demyx smiled, "Awesome. That sounds great, then." he said. "Thanks, Cloud."

"I'll let the others know. Man, Axel's gonna love this!" Cloud laughed. "You'd better get back to Zex before he passes out from worry."

"Right." Demyx nodded, "Thanks again, and just let me know what I can do."

"Once we get him there, try to make him enjoy himself instead of just watching us." Cloud suggested. "We'll cover everything else."

Demyx nodded, "Alright. Can do. Thanks." he said, before slipping out of the room and heading back down the hall to where Zexion was waiting.

Zexion sprang up from the couch. "What took so long, I thought you only had one question?"

"I was only gone a few minutes." Demyx said, amused.

Zexion blushed lightly and murmured, "It felt longer."

Demyx smiled at him, "Come on, let's figure out what it is we're watching." he said, walking over and sitting back down on the couch, pulling Zexion down next to him.

Zexion's blush darkened but he gripped Demyx's hand, not letting him let go. "O-okay."

Demyx smiled again.

Zexion let his gaze drop to their intertwined hands, stomach flipping. He hadn't pulled his hand away! Smiling, he glanced at the blonde before trying to focus on the TV.

XXXX

Axel _really_ hated his job. He was contemplating how _much_ he hated his job as he left it, but his thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. Pulling it out, he flipped it open, "Mmm?"

"_Demyx had a brilliant idea for Zex's birthday - The Happy Funtime Place." _Cloud said without preamble.

Axel paused, "Seriously? That's perfect." he grinned, all hatred for his job pushed to the back of his mind.

"_Yeah, so either you or Larx will have to rent the place out for his birthday - it's this Thursday, in case you forgot. Also, throw Dem's name on a couple of the presents - kid can't afford anything right now and I told him I'd take care of everything as long as he got Zex to actually participate instead of just watch."_ Cloud explained.

"I'm not the one that forgets birthdays." Axel reminded him, "I'll swing by on my way back to the house. I've gotta grab Roxas anyway, and both places are in that direction."

"_Sounds good. You bringing Rox back here or going out?"_

"Haven't decided." Axel said, "Do you want me to bring him back there?"

"_Whatever you want. I just peeked out into the living room, though, and Demyx and Zexion are on the couch. Holding hands. Should we - wait, are you driving?"_

"Nope." Axel answered, "Heading to Larx's car. Should we what?"

"_Does he even know about gay sex ed?" _Cloud asked bluntly. _"It's not usually taught in schools and I can't imagine anyone ever telling him. He's sitting on our couch freaking holding hands with Dem. Our Zexion! Plus those two share a room! And they're only kids, for god's sake. If they do any... experimenting, I don't want either to get physically hurt."_

Axel coughed, "Have to say I did _not_ expect that to be what you were going to ask." he laughed.

"_Yeah, well, I didn't want to be the one to bring it up, either! I didn't exactly get 'the talk', you know, and I'd rather Zex not be bedridden for a week!" _Cloud snapped.

Axel smirked, "Alright, alright, one of us will talk to him. Though if you think Dem knows anything more than Zex, I'd venture a guess that you're wrong."

Cloud sighed. _"Good luck getting Zex to let him out of his sight long enough to talk to him."_

"You grab Dem, I'll grab Zex and we'll explain in different rooms at the same time?" Axel suggested.

Cloud snorted. _"You'll have to drag him kicking and screaming, unless you can come up with a really good excuse. But yeah, that'll work. God this is awkward."_

Axel laughed, "It's not like we can sit them down in front of a sex ed tape or something. Well, I guess we could, but we'd probably have to lock them in the room and put the TV behind glass so they couldn't turn it off."

"_I'm sure they'd find a way to turn it off. Or at the very least, simply face the other way."_

"Right." Axel said, "Alright, I'll grab Rox, stop by The Happy Funtime Place, and then we can drag those two into two different rooms and give them the talk."

"_...Bring some beer." _Cloud hung up.

Axel laughed again, stuffing his phone back in his pocket and climbing into Larxene's car, driving to Roxas's. Parking in front, he headed towards the door and rang the doorbell.

Riku opened the door. "Hey, Axel. Looking for Roxas?"

"Yep." Axel nodded, "Hey, Riku."

"Him and Sora are in the kitchen. C'mon." Riku said, closing the door behind the redhead and leading him into the kitchen, hugging his boyfriend. "Look who I found."

"Axel!" Roxas smiled. He was wearing his apron and cleaning up what seemed to be a rather large baking endeavor.

Axel smiled back, "Hey."

Sora nodded, "Hey, Axel."

"Want a cookie? Or a muffin? Or a brownie?" Roxas asked.

"The cookies are still my favorite." Riku smiled, taking a bite out of the one Sora was currently eating.

Sora sent a dejected look at Riku, "My cookie..." he frowned.

"I'll eat anything you made." Axel said, "Actually, mind packing some of that up and bringing it with you? I have a feeling we'll need it." he said, thinking ahead.

"Sure. But who are we bribing with it?" Roxas asked, getting out a bag and packing some of the desserts up.

"Hey, leave some for us!" Riku protested before squeezing Sora. "Sorry, they're just so good... And you get to eat them all the time..."

"We're distracting employees and then bribing Zexion." Axel said.

Sora glanced over at Axel, "Are you guys committing felonies again? 'Cause you've done a lot of that lately."

Axel laughed, "Nah, not this time."

"What felonies?" Roxas asked.

"The whole kidnapping thing." Riku answered.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I wasn't kidnapped. Also, that's only one thing, so you should have said 'felony' instead of 'felonies'."

"Nah, we also let Demyx live with us for awhile when it was illegal." Axel shrugged, "So, we've just been doing illegal things back to back."

"You know, I really don't think it's a good idea to be declaring all the crimes you've recently committed in your boyfriend's kitchen." Riku commented.

Roxas snorted. "Right, well, I guess I'm going to commit some crimes with Axel. Will you bail us out of jail, Sora?"

"I already said that what we're doing today isn't illegal." Axel chuckled, "Unless Zexion ends up murdering me."

"Of course, let me clarify: if Zexion kills Axel, will you bail me out of jail for killing Zexion?" Roxas asked, rolling his eyes.

Sora laughed, "No, because Zexion's lawyer will kick my ass."

"Meanie." Roxas stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Just for that, I'm not bailing you out for killing Riku's murderer!"

"Whoa, who's murdering me? Why do I have to die?" Riku demanded.

Sora laughed, leaning into Riku, "No one's killing you on my watch, don't worry."

"Good. I'm glad someone in this room will protect me and doesn't want me dead!" Riku pretended to shudder, holding Sora closer.

Sora laughed again.

"Okay, don't eat all the food while I'm gone! I'll be back... whenever. I'll call you, okay?" Roxas said to his brother, grabbing the packed food and moving to take Axel's hand.

"Yep, sounds good." Sora nodded, "Have fun."

Roxas smiled. "We will."

Axel squeezed Roxas's hand, "Ready, then?"

Roxas nodded and waved to the two in the kitchen as he and Axel left his house and climbed into Larxene's car.

"Okay, we've gotta go spend a shitload of money at The Happy Funtime Place, and back to my place. Sound okay?" Axel asked Roxas as he started the car up.

"Yeah, but why are we going to a kid's play place?" Roxas asked curiously.

"We're renting it for Zexion's birthday." Axel answered, "He didn't really... get a childhood, so Cloud, Larx, and I are pretty much forcing him to be a kid _now_. Which means things like this. This was Demyx's idea, though."

Roxas laughed. "That's so awesome! When's his birthday?"

"Thursday." Axel answered. "Thus the shitload of money part."

"All right... But why are we potentially bribing Zexion with my desserts?" Roxas asked.

"I think I'm gonna hold off on telling you that part until we're there so that you can't refuse." Axel grinned at him.

"I don't even know how to respond to that except to say ut-o." Roxas laughed, shaking his head.

Axel smiled, "I'll make it up to you later, I promise."

Roxas smirked. "I can't wait."

XXXX

Hayner sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he aimlessly wandered around campus. He had an hour to kill before Olette was done with class and they could head home, and he just didn't feel like working in the library, not when it was so nice outside. The air was cold and he couldn't feel his nose, but that was just how he liked it. Shuddering a little in the wind, he made his way to one of the fields, intending on finding a place to sit for a while and enjoy the cold, when he stopped, spotting the by now familiar figure of a certain blonde walking past. Moving towards him, Hayner waved. "Hey."

Seifer turned, "Oh, hey." he nodded. Eyeing Hayner's bare arms, he frowned, "You're astonishingly bad at remembering to wear a coat." he commented.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "I told you, I like the cold."

Seifer just shook his head, "Right, right."

"Ah, sorry, but I left your jacket at home..." Hayner blushed lightly. "I'll try to remember it next time." He shivered again, feeling more of the cold now that he'd stopped moving.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Just keep it." he said, pulling off the one he was wearing and tossing it to Hayner, "But I want _that_ one back once you remember to wear the other one."

Hayner caught it and threw it back at him. "I'm only getting cold now 'cause I stopped moving. I don't need your jacket."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Well, put it on anyway." he said, tossing it back.

It smacked into his face and Hayner growled, "You did that on purpose!"

Seifer shrugged, "Should've kept it the first time." he smirked.

"I can't take this - what'll you wear? Especially since I forgot the other one. Don't be stupid." Hayner threw the jacket back at him again.

"At least I'm wearing long sleeves." Seifer said, "I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, are going to freeze. And then die." Seifer said, throwing it back at Hayner for the third time.

"I will not!" Hayner snapped, catching the damn jacket again. "And I won't be out here much longer - you, on the other hand, will need your jacket for the rest of the day, doing... whatever it is you have to do." He threw it back to the other blonde.

"Going to class." Seifer answered, "Where it's heated." Seifer said, tossing it one more time, "Take the fucking jacket before I _force_ you into it again."

Hayner threw it back at him and spoke without thinking, "I'd like to see you try."

Seifer shrugged, before lunging forward and grabbing Hayner.

Hayner twisted out his grip before taking off, laughing. He ran off the path and around confused students, glancing over his shoulder to see Seifer close on his heels. Laughing like an idiot, heart racing, he veered onto one of the fields, his turf. He poured on the speed, doing another quick check behind him, surprised to see Seifer not only still there but gaining on him. Reaching inside himself for a burst of speed, he taunted, "You'll never catch me, old man!"

Seifer just smirked to himself and sped up, pulling on reserves he hadn't had to worry about since high school when he'd been on the track team for three months. (They'd kicked him off for not coming to practice.) Lunging forward, he tackled Hayner to the ground.

"Shit!" Hayner cursed, tumbling to the ground and somehow ending up underneath Seifer. Both were panting and as Hayner slowly regained his breath, he blushed, realizing the position they were currently in. Seifer's breath was ghosting his face and he shivered, it having nothing to do with the cold ground beneath him, blush deepening as he stared up into light blue eyes.

Still regaining his breath (he hadn't been GOOD at track), Seifer spoke, "Ready to put on that jacket now?"

It took Hayner a minute to realize Seifer had said something. Turning an impossible shade of red, all he could think was, _'He smells better than his jacket'_. "Wh-what?"

Seifer sighed, "The jacket, Hayner. The jacket I chased you all the way out here to force on you. Ready to put it on?"

"Y-yeah." Hayner managed to answer.

"Good." Seifer said, getting off of Hayner and standing up before offering the younger blonde a hand to help him off the ground.

Hayner stared at the hand before cautiously taking it, letting Seifer pull him to his feet.

Once Hayner was standing again, Seifer handed over his jacket.

Brain finally restarting, Hayner took it, realizing how cold he was. He shivered, trying to pull the jacket on and getting the sleeves twisted, struggling for a few minutes before sighing in defeat. "Why does the world hate me?" He muttered.

Seifer chuckled, walking around so that he was behind Hayner and untwisting the sleeves, helping him into the jacket.

"Thanks." Hayner muttered, hugging himself, inhaling that intoxicating scent again.

Seifer checked his watch, "I should probably get going soon or I'll be late to class."

"Right." Hayner nodded. "Are you on campus tomorrow? I'll bring your other jacket plus this one."

"I told you to keep the other one." Seifer said, "But yeah, I'll be here from noon 'til four."

"When do you wanna meet up?" Hayner asked.

Seifer shrugged, "I'll be in the courtyard around 2, if you'll be here."

"Yeah. I'll be there." Hayner nodded.

"Sounds good." Seifer nodded, "See you tomorrow." he waved, heading towards his class.

"Right." Hayner watched him walk away before sitting in the grass, a bubble of almost hysterical laughter bursting out of him. "It's a date. Oh god." He put his head in his hands.

XXXX

Axel walked into the living room of the house, eyes falling on Demyx and Zexion before he sighed, glancing back at Roxas, "Hey, meet me in the kitchen?" he asked.

Roxas gave him a look but shrugged. "Sure. Hi, Demyx, Zexion." The blonde waved, heading for the kitchen.

Zexion smiled. "Hi, Roxas."

"Cloud around?" Axel asked the two younger boys.

"I think he's in his room." Demyx answered.

"Right. Thanks." Axel said, heading down the hallway, mentally planning things. Knocking on Cloud's door, he sighed. No way they handled this was going to be easy.

Cloud opened the door and sighed. "That was fast. You rent the place?"

"Yep." Axel said, "That part was easy."

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I figured. So, got any ideas? I think Zexion's got a death grip on Demyx."

"Like I said before, grab them and pull them in opposite directions. Roxas made brownies, they might help." Axel said, "He's waiting in the kitchen."

"What'd you tell him about this?" Cloud asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Axel answered, shrugging.

Cloud snorted. "Well, am I to assume you'll be talking to Zex alone, then, and Rox is the reinforcement in the way of baked goods for after his brain explodes, or are you just going to throw them both into the room and see how they react?"

"I'll talk to Zex." Axel rolled his eyes, "But yes, Roxas is reinforcements. Can you handle Dem by yourself?"

"He'll probably think it's about Zex's birthday at first, so yeah. I think so." Cloud nodded.

Axel nodded, "Alright. Let's get this over with."

"Did you remember to get some beer?" Cloud asked.

"Yep." Axel nodded, "Roxas has it in the kitchen."

Cloud sighed. "All right. No point in stalling." He gestured the redhead out of his room, leaving the door open as he'd be dragging Demyx into it shortly.

Axel nodded, following him into the living room.

Cloud glanced at Axel before clearing his throat. "Dem? Could I talk to you for a sec?"

Zexion squeezed Demyx's hand. "Alone again?"

Cloud nodded.

"You won't miss him." Axel promised, "I have to talk to you anyway, Zex." he said.

"About what? My birthday again? This is getting a little absurd." Zexion muttered, clearly not happy.

"Just come on." Axel said, not sounding too pleased about it himself. Grabbing Zexion's arm, he tried to drag him as nicely as possible towards the kitchen.

Demyx's eyes widened and he blinked, "Uhh..."

"Axel!" Zexion protested, yanking Demyx's arm since he refused to let go of his hand.

"It'll be for a few minutes at the most. Dem... come on." Cloud said, motioning towards the hall and his room, avoiding looking at Zex all together.

Demyx glanced after Cloud, "Umm." he said, glancing down at his and Zex's still clasped hands (or at this point, Zexion's death grip on his hand.)

Axel gave a sharp tug, "Come _on_, Zex. The sooner you come with me into the kitchen, the sooner you can come back out here."

"Why can't you just say what you have to say to us together?" Zexion protested, digging his heels in to avoid being dragged any further by Axel, still tightly holding on to Demyx with an air of panic.

"Zex, calm down. I'm not taking him away or anything. A few minutes, that's it." Cloud said before sending a pleading look at Demyx.

Demyx turned to Zex, "It'll only be a minute, they said." he told him, "I'll be right back."

"But..." Zexion stared at their clasped hands.

"I'll be right back." Demyx repeated, "Promise."

Zexion stared into Demyx's eyes for a minute before blushing and finally letting go of his hand. "Okay." He mumbled. Turning, he glared at Axel. "Get on with it, then!" He snapped.

Cloud coughed. "Right. Ah, we'll be right back." He led Demyx into his room, firmly shutting the door behind them.

"Come on." Axel said, dragging Zexion into the kitchen.

Roxas glanced at Zexion's face and held up his dessert bag. "Brownie, muffin, or cookie?"

"Cookie, I guess." Zexion grumbled, taking one and sitting down stiffly, glaring at Axel as he bit into it.

Axel took a deep breath, took a brownie from Roxas, and then sighed, "Let's get this over with."

XXXX

Riku grinned at Namine as she set down a few drinks onto the table before taking a seat next to Kairi. "Thanks, Nami."

She smiled at him, happy to see him and Sora looking so relaxed next to each other. "No problem."

After taking a drink and leaning back into the couch, arm over Sora's shoulders, Riku turned to Kairi. "So, how're you and your boyfriend doing? Xigbar, right?"

"Yep." Kairi nodded, "And we're good." she smiled, "Really good."

Sora chuckled, "Still not sure I believe it."

Kairi tossed a pillow at him, "What exactly is it going to take for you to believe I can be actually dating a _good_ guy for once?"

Namine laughed at the pair of them. "Xigbar seems truly nice, Sora. Promise."

Sora just rolled his eyes again and changed the subject, "What about you and Riku's brother?" he asked Namine.

The blonde grinned. "We're doing well. Happy."

"That's good. It's still a little weird to think of you guys as together, but... I'm glad you're both happy." Riku smiled.

Namine smiled back. "We are."

Sora smiled, "That's good." he said, nodding and leaning into Riku.

Kairi giggled, "I swear, you two just ooze happiness. Like, constantly. I don't think it's possible to be depressed in your presence."

Sora snatched the pillow she'd thrown at him earlier and threw it back at her.

Riku laughed and squeezed Sora closer. "That's 'cause we _are_ happy."

"So, Riku and Kairi both tell me you are kissing Riku, Sora. Is it amazing?" Namine asked.

"Nami!" Riku protested.

Namine laughed. "Well, I got to ask you what kissing him was like - it's only fair I ask him the same about you!"

Sora laughed and shrugged, "I don't think I'd be doing it if it wasn't." he admitted.

Kairi giggled again, "Seriously with the happiness oozing. You two are likely to give me cavities."

"I think they're cute." Namine said to her sister.

"So kissing me is amazing, huh?" Riku murmured with a grin, staring into Sora's eyes.

Sora just smirked at him.

"Speaking of cuteness and kissing... Have you kissed Xigbar yet?" Namine asked her twin.

Kairi smiled, "Yes, yes I have. Actually, right before we walked into the restaurant the other day, and it took us quite a bit to start the car after we left."

"So that's why you both looked so happy!" Namine grinned. "Well, good for you."

Kairi grinned back at her, "Thanks! Have you kissed Reno?"

Namine blushed lightly. "No."

Riku looked at her. "He hasn't kissed you yet?"

Namine shook her head. "No..."

"Well, why _not_?" Kairi asked, "You've been dating as long as Xig and I have."

"I don't know. I guess he wants to go slow..." Namine said, still blushing.

"He must really like you, then, if he hasn't made a move yet. He's probably afraid of screwing it up somehow." Riku said, trying to think like Reno.

Kairi shook her head, "Totally unacceptable." she scoffed, tackling her sister to the couch and wrestling her cell phone away from her before darting into the bathroom and locking the door.

Sora sighed, "Well, shit. Kairi's thinking."

"I heard that!" Kairi snapped from inside the bathroom.

"Kairi!" Namine yelled. "What are you doing?" She ran to the door, but it was locked.

Kairi just laughed, "Just go sit down, Nam!" she said, before speaking into the phone, "Hello? It's Kairi."

"Who are you talking to?" Namine demanded, before gasping. "Kairi. Please. Tell me you didn't..."

"Didn't what?" Riku asked.

"Call Reno." Namine sighed.

Kairi didn't answer, continuing her hushed phone conversation.

Defeated, Namine walked back to the living room and sat down. "I hope Reno has an understanding sense of humor..."

Riku chuckled. "He'll be fine - I'm sure he's dealt with worse than Kairi working at the bar."

Namine looked a little hopeful. "That's true..."

Sora just chuckled, knowing Kairi could be quite evil when she wanted to.

A moment later, Kairi walked back in, tossing Namine's phone to her and plopping back down on the couch.

"Please tell me you did _not_ just call my boyfriend to demand a reason as to why we haven't kissed yet." Namine said while going through her phone's call history, sighing when Reno's number was the last dialed. "Kairi, why?"

Kairi just laughed, "I actually didn't demand a reason that the two of you hadn't kissed yet." she shrugged.

"Then why did you call him?" Namine asked, levelly looking at her sister and trying not to get angry.

Kairi just smiled at her and didn't answer.

"Kairi... if you won't tell me, I'll just call and ask him myself." Namine said.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Give it ten minutes." she said.

Sora groaned, "Shit, you didn't."

Kairi just grinned.

Riku glanced between the two for a few moments before it clicked. "You invited him over?"

Namine put her hands on her face as she turned bright red. "Reno's coming over?"

Kairi just continued to grin.

"Nami, breathe. It'll be fine." Riku said, before pulling Sora closer for a quick kiss. "Gotta limit the kissing in front of my brother, okay?" He muttered, smiling at him.

Sora smirked, "That's fine."

Namine took a few calming breaths. "Okay. This is fine. I wasn't going to see him today, anyway, so it's a nice surprise."

Kairi scooted away from her sister on the couch. The doorbell rang and Kairi lept up, jumping over the edge of the couch that Riku and Sora were sitting on to get to the door faster.

Namine fidgeted, fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt, before she managed to make herself stop and sit still.

"Relax." Riku whispered, hugging Sora closer to him.

Kairi walked back in with Reno following her.

"Hey, Reno. What's up?" Riku asked as Namine just smiled nervously at him.

Reno shrugged, "Not much." he nodded at his brother, "Hey, Nam." he smiled at her.

Kairi hopped into a chair, curling up so she was comfortable and leaving the seat she'd abandoned for Reno.

"I apologize for whatever Kairi said to you on the phone. She doesn't know how to behave herself. You didn't have to come over here, I know you were planning on sleeping in a little before work tonight." Namine said.

Reno laughed, sitting down next to her, "No worries." he said, "I won't pass up an opportunity to see you."

Riku made gagging noises while Namine blushed lightly. "That's sweet of you to say."

Reno smiled at her.

Kairi spoke up, "So, Reno, why haven't you kissed Namine yet?"

Namine's blushed deepened. "Kairi!"

Kairi just grinned, "Well?"

Reno shrugged, "Didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't ready for."

Face burning in embarrassment, Namine stood. "Excuse me." She managed to say, before walking out of the room and quickly closing herself in the bathroom, staring at her shocked reflection.

"Um..." Riku said, glancing at everyone in the room. "Maybe I should...?"

Reno didn't answer, standing up and walking over to the bathroom door, knocking lightly, "Namine?"

"I'll be out in a minute!" Namine called, turning on the faucet to splash some water on her face in an attempt to control her blush.

"Way to go, Kairi. You embarrassed her." Riku muttered.

Kairi turned to him, "I know what I'm doing." she said.

Sora sighed, "Need us to evacuate?"

"Temporarily." Kairi nodded, "Come on." she said, standing up and gesturing for the stairs.

Riku glanced after his brother and best friend. "I don't know..."

"We'll be able to hear them if something happens." Kairi promised.

Reluctantly, Riku nodded and stood, pulling Sora up with him.

Reno leaned against the doorframe, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Namine called back, drying her face and mentally cursing Kairi.

Reno didn't believe her.

Taking a deep breath, Namine studied herself. She wasn't wearing anything special, and she tugged at the hem of her shirt again nervously. Her face was still red, although not as bright, and she figured this was the best it was going to get, as she was still feeling very embarrassed. Sighing, she opened the door, blinking at Reno before smiling. "I apologize for Kairi. She really doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut sometimes."

Reno smiled at her, "Don't worry about it. Aerith used to do the same thing. She doesn't seem like it, but she's actually quite evil."

"I'll have to take your word for it, since she is one of the nicest people I know. It must be a sister thing..." Namine said.

Reno chuckled, "Well, Kairi, Riku, and Sora have abandoned us, so it seems to just be the two of us now."

"Oh." She blushed again, sighing. "That's probably Kairi's fault, too. Any ideas as to where they went? It feels wrong to kick Sora out of his own house."

"I think they just went upstairs." Reno shrugged. "Let 'em wait up there for a few minutes." he smiled.

"Okay." She smiled back. "Could we move out of the bathroom, though?"

"In a second." Reno nodded, before leaning in and kissing her very lightly. Pulling back a second later, he smiled, "There. Now your sister has nothing to complain about."

Namine stared at him. "I..." She shook her head to clear it. "I didn't want you to kiss me because of my _sister_. I wanted you to want it..."

"Namine, of _course_ I wanted to kiss you." Reno said, "I just didn't want to push you into anything."

"Oh. Can we," She stared at him shyly, "Can we try again, then?"

Reno smiled, taking her hand and leading her out of the bathroom doorway, "Of course." he said, leaning down to give her another kiss.

When he pulled back, Namine opened eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed. "I'm not very good at this." She confessed, blushing.

Reno chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers, "You're perfect."

Namine's blush deepened and she moved back, shaking her head. "No. I'm not."

Reno put his hands on her shoulders, "Yes. Yes you are." he said, "I could be corny and go through all the reasons why, but I'm going to spare you the corniness and just tell you to trust me." he smiled, pulling her into a hug.

Still in his embrace, she looked up into his eyes, shaking her head helplessly. "No one's perfect, Reno. There's no such thing as 'perfect' - every person finds value in different things. So I... I'm not perfect."

"Well, you're perfect for me." Reno said, smiling at her.

"I... I haven't done anything special. You're the one who's been just amazing." Namine smiled.

Reno just smiled at her and kissed her again.

Dazed, she stared up at him, bringing her fingertips to her lips when he pulled back again. "I... you make it hard to think straight when you do that."

"Then that means I'm doing my job right." Reno smiled.

Namine blushed again (or had she even stopped?) before taking a few deliberate steps back and out of his arms. "We should probably let the others know they can come downstairs now."

"Alright." Reno nodded.

She blew out a breath. "Okay."

Reno smiled at her and squeezed her hand, "You okay?"

Namine nodded. "Yes. I'm just not looking forward to Kairi's smugness after this."

Reno chuckled, "If you want, I can leave and you can pretend we had a huge fight or something."

The blonde smiled but shook her head. "I couldn't do that to Riku. As it is, he worries what will happen if we break up."

Reno smiled, squeezing her hand.

"He doesn't seem to understand that we're both adults and wouldn't be vindictive enough to make him miserable if something happened." Namine sighed, squeezing his hand back and leaning into him a little.

Reno took his hand from her and put it over her shoulders, squeezing her, "Well, I have no plans to let that happen, so I don't think he has anything to worry about."

Namine smiled. "That's good to hear." She murmured, leaning in to him but holding up a hand when he bent closer. "No more kissing. I don't want to be dazed when they eventually come down here."

Reno sighed over dramatically, "_Fiiiiine, _I guess I can manage that." He sat down on the couch, pulling Namine down so she was sitting close to him, and not removing his arm from her shoulders.

Namine smiled and put her head on his shoulder, shifting closer to him and reaching for his other hand with hers, tracing idle patterns on his palm. "I suppose one of us should call up to them."

"Do we have to?" Reno asked her, "I'm pretty comfortable right now."

Namine looked up at him and smiled. "Or we could just wait for the curiosity to finally get to Kairi and them to come down on their own."

"I like that plan." Reno smirked.

XXXX

Axel groaned, letting his head fall to the table, finally finished talking to Zexion. Not moving, he spoke, "You can go back to whatever you were doing before if you want now, Zex."

Zexion stared at his half-eaten cookie, refusing to look at Axel or Roxas, blushing. "I don't even know what to say to you. Why - How - We're not - I'm leaving." Zexion stood and walked to the living room, sitting down on the couch just as the door to Cloud's room opened.

"Ah, right. Well... just, go back to whatever you were watching before." Cloud said, rubbing a hand over his face and abandoning Demyx, striding into the kitchen. "Beer. Now."

"Oh god, I wish I could have one." Roxas said, mirroring Axel and faceplanting on the table, face redder than his boyfriend's hair.

Axel didn't move, "In the fridge."

Grabbing two, Cloud sat down in Zexion's vacated chair, pushing the other at Axel. "Was that as horrible for you as it was for me? Because I think I'm going to have nightmares. Hell."

Axel didn't touch it, and just groaned again.

"Why did you decide to do this now? And why the hell did you make me stay here and listen to it, too?" Roxas demanded, lifting his head and poking Axel's shoulder.

"I'm sorryyyy." Axel whined, turning to face Roxas but not lifting his head, "It was Cloud's idea to talk to them, and I just needed support."

"Don't blame me!" Cloud snapped, taking a long sip of beer. "It's their parents fault for not doing this and making us worry about it. Jesus, they're only kids. No offense, Rox."

"I can't believe neither had had the talk yet. I got it from Kairi when I officially became a teenager. And trust me, hearing it from your boyfriend? Worse. Much, much worse." Roxas sighed.

Axel gave him a sympathetic smile and then glanced at the beer in front of his head before groaning again.

"Please don't make me sit through anything like that again." Roxas said, patting Axel's shoulder.

"Drink the beer. It makes it better. Marginally." Cloud said, taking another sip.

"I promise." Axel said, "And I don't want Roxas to feel uncomfortable since he can't drink yet and I'm not breaking _more_ laws by letting him."

"That almost makes up for the past ten minutes. Almost." Roxas smiled. Leaning down, he kissed Axel's cheek. "Drink the beer, Ax. I don't mind."

"You sure?" Axel asked, hesitant.

"Unless you're some kind of drunk I don't want to be around, I'm sure. I'll just either have to spend the night or call Sora later for a ride." Roxas shrugged.

"Don't worry, Axel's a fun drunk. Mostly." Cloud grinned.

Axel gave Cloud a look, before turning to Roxas as he grabbed the beer, "Larx can drive you if you don't want to stay."

"What can I do?" Larxene asked, walking in, "Why do Zex and Dem look like someone made them watch gay porn?"

"Oh god." Cloud muttered, finishing his beer and standing to get another one.

"Axel offered your services as my ride home, since he's getting drunk. Unless..." Turning to his boyfriend, Roxas smiled. "Are you asking me to stay?"

"I'm asking you to stay if you want to." Axel smiled back, popping open his beer and taking a long sip.

Roxas grinned. "I want to. If you're willing to share your bed."

"I'm leaving. I'll be in my room having phone sex with Leon and trying to forget about tonight. See you all... whenever." Cloud said, taking his second can of beer and leaving.

"Always willing to share with you, Rox." Axel smiled.

"Aww, that's sweet. So, since I don't have to drive, I'm drinking." Larxene said, grabbing her own can out of the fridge and hopping into a chair, "Though you still haven't told me why Zex and Dem look like they watched really bad porn."

"Axel and Cloud decided today was the day they got the talk." Roxas shuddered.

Larxene burst into laughter, and Axel glared at her, "Shut it, Sparky. We could've made you do it."

Roxas shuddered again. "Getting it from a girl is horrible. Just trust me."

Larxene just continued to laugh.

"Changing the subject now because you two get to get drunk and I can't... Brownie, muffin, or cookie?" Roxas said, offering his desserts to Larxene.

"Ooh." Larxene grabbed a cookie, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Axel likes to use my cooking as bribes. Oh, that reminds me. Ah..." Roxas glanced into the living room before pulling out his cell phone and writing in an empty text the group's ideas for Zexion's birthday, passing the screen to Larxene to read. "Since I doubt Cloud or Axel have half a brain left to remember to tell you."

Larxene took it, scanning the message, and then put her beer down, grinning, "Shit, that's awesome! Whose idea was that?"

Roxas pocketed his phone. "Demyx's, I think."

"Awesome." Larxene continued to grin.

"Yeah. Hey, what kind of drunk is Axel? 'Cause so far, he's just brooding." Roxas said, half-teasing.

Larxene shrugged, "Depends on the events that brought on the drunkeness. Usually he's a pretty fun drunk, but he probably doesn't have enough in his system yet."

"Hmm... Okay. You awake in there, Ax?" Roxas said, tapping on the redhead's forehead.

Axel groaned, "Yes."

Roxas rolled his eyes. " Would you rather sit here at this table still reliving those awful ten minutes, or would you rather be locking us both in your room for some... fun?"

Axel glanced at his boyfriend, "Definitely the second one." he nodded, "See you around, Sparky." Grabbing Roxas's arm, he dashed away.

Roxas laughed. "Enjoy the desserts!" He shouted, before Axel's bedroom door slammed behind them and the lock clicked in place.

XXXX

I feel like I should have something to say about the tackle scene up there, but my mind is now fully on drunk Axel. I forgot the talk was in this chapter. :D

It's Cami, by the way. Jas took my ANs last chapter 'cause a character was making me go comatose. I'm fine now, and so is the character, but you can look for that in chapter 30something.

Hope you enjoyed!


	28. Riku Gets A New Old Car

Jasmine here. This chapter is filled with such adorableness I feel the need to add a cuteness warning. :D

Enjoy!

We don't own KH / FF.

XXXX

Cloud cursed as oil gushed out onto his arms and splattered his shirt. "Goddammit!"

Glancing up from his paperwork, Xigbar called, "Need help?"

Cloud growled. "Damn bitch is spraying the hell outta me. Grab the wrench and turn it the fuck off, would you?"

Standing, Xigbar crossed and grabbed the right tool, reaching around Cloud's arms - which were holding back most of the fountain as well as crucial pieces together under the hood - and tightened the leak, stopping the spray. "All set, Blondie."

Cloud grunted and Xigbar grinned, wiping his hands and putting the wrench away just as he heard someone enter the shop. "Welcome to the - hiya Red, what're you doing here?"

Kairi grinned, "Just thought I'd stop by and see if you were around. Hi Cloud."

"Bitch! Try to fuck with me?" Cloud spat, wrestling with the parts.  
"He's talking to the car, not you." Xigbar quickly reassured.

Kairi laughed, "I'll just leave him alone and greet him when he notices me, then." she smiled, "How're you?"

"Better now that you're here." Xigbar grinned. "C'mon, let's move back to the desk to get outta his hair." Xigbar took Kairi's hand, pulling her along.

"Sure." Kairi grinned, squeezing his hand and following him.

Spinning to face her and leaning against the desk once they had reached it, Xigbar leaned in to give her a kiss. Smiling, he pulled back. "So what's new Red? There's only one chair, so you can take it."

"It's okay." Kairi smiled, stepping closer to him and leaning up to kiss him again, "Not much new. Ambushed Reno and Namine the other day, which I'm not sure Namine will ever forgive me for." she chuckled, "But if the fact that they were so cozy the other day means anything, it worked."

"What happened to piss her off?" Xigbar asked, putting his arms around her to keep her close, grinning.

"I invited Reno over to Sora's place and then asked him flat out why he hadn't kissed her yet." Kairi smirked, "It was pretty evil, but I think it worked."

"Hey, he was probably waiting for her to make the move." Xigbar said, defending Reno. "You're the one who made the move first with us, Red." He pointed out.

"I know. But I also know my sister, and she needed him to make the first move." Kairi smiled. "And besides, I jumped you in a car, that's completely different."

Xigbar laughed. "No it's not, because as you said, _you_ jumped _me_. Don't worry, Red, I'm sure Reno'll calm her down and you two'll be fine."

Kairi smiled, "Thanks," before sticking her tongue out at him, "And besides, are you complaining about me jumping you?"

"Hell, no." Xigbar snickered. "Sass, it's part of why I like you so much." He kissed her again just because he could.

Kairi smirked into the kiss. When they pulled apart, she spoke with a smile, "Good."

"I gotta get this paperwork done. You can either check on Cloud or sit with me and keep me company. Your choice, Red." Xigbar said.

Kairi smirked, "Will you be able to get any work done if I'm keeping you company?"

"Sure. Your voice is so much prettier to listen to than Cloud's, too, and I manage to work with him yabbering about parts." Xigbar grinned.

"I do not yabber about parts." Cloud scowled, walking over to the two, covered in oil.

Xigbar snickered. "Lose the battle?"

Cloud nodded before grinning. "But I damn well won the war. Car's ready to go."

"Hot damn, Cloud, that's why Cid pays you the big bucks. I thought for sure it was a goner." Xigbar grinned, shaking his head before turning to Kairi. "Make up your mind yet?"

"Oh. Hi, Kairi," Cloud said, just noticing her.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "I greeted you earlier, but you were too absorbed in the car to notice." she said, before turning to Xigbar, "Well, I'm staying with you, of course." she smiled.

Xigbar smiled. "Good." He squeezed her closer. "You're a real mess, Cloud."

"Sorry." Cloud said to Kairi before rolling his eyes. "No shit, Xig. I was going to meet Leon for lunch but... Guess I'm showering at your place instead. Later!"

"What? What? Aw c'mon Cloud, shower at your own place first!" Xigbar protested.

"But Leon's not at my place." Cloud reasoned, picking up his helmet.

"Jesus. Whatever, don't get that crap all over, all right? And for the love of god, don't do it in my bathroom!" Xigbar yelled over the roar of Cloud's bike.

Cloud saluted him and drove off.

XXXX

Seifer walked into the courtyard, scanning the people mulling about to try and find Hayner. Finally spotting the other blonde not too far away, he headed in that direction. "Hey."

Hayner shifted on his feet. "Hi."

"Are you really going to make me ask you the _same_ question I've asked you the last two times we've met up?" Seifer asked him.

"Here." Hayner said, shoving his armful of jackets at Seifer. "Thanks for loaning them to me."

"If you want to be technical, I _gave_ this one to you." Seifer reminded him, holding up the first jacket, "So, why aren't you wearing it?"

"It doesn't... I have my own." Hayner said, shrugging and trying to hide his blush.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "It doesn't what?" he asked.

"Huh?" Hayner pretended to misunderstand.

"When I asked you why you weren't wearing it, you said 'It doesn't.'" Seifer explained, humoring him for now, "It doesn't what?"

"Um... It doesn't... fit. Yeah, it doesn't fit right." Hayner said desperately.

"It fit you fine the other day." Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Somehow I don't think that's what you meant."

"Fine. It doesn't smell good anymore, okay? Happy now? Whatever the hell you wear is freaking addicting and I like it and it wore off the jacket. Satisfied?" Hayner snapped, blushing brightly before staring at his feet and crossing his arms, rubbing at them for friction.

Seifer stared for just a moment before he started to grin, "You like how I smell?" he teased.

Hayner glared at him. "I just _said_ that!"

Seifer just continued to grin at him, "Well, if you like it that much." he said, pulling off the jacket he was wearing and handing it to Hayner. "There." he said, with a small smirk.

"Smug asshole." Hayner muttered, blush deepening, part of him wanting to take it and screw his pride and the other part demanding he stomp away pissed.

"Just take it so you won't be freezing." Seifer rolled his eyes.

Giving in, he slumped, taking the jacket and quickly pulling it on, inhaling deeply and avoiding looking Seifer in the eyes. Bringing hands up to his face, he breathed in the scent and very nearly sighed. "You're still an asshole." He muttered, but without venom.

Seifer just laughed at him, pulling one of the jackets Hayner had returned on.

Defensively, Hayner glared. "Stop laughing! I can't help it you smell good!"

Seifer smiled, "Alright, alright."

Hayner sighed. "You're done with classes, right? Where'd you park?"

"Same parking lot as usual." Seifer shrugged.

"Good. Let's go." Hayner nodded, turning and heading for the parking lot, forcing Seifer to quickly follow him in order to not get left behind.

"You walking me to my car now?" Seifer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not taking another one of your damn jackets, this is getting ridiculous. So, you're giving me a ride home so I can take it off in the car and we both win - you get to keep your jackets - seriously, why do you have so many? - and I get to not freeze. C'mon, hurry up!" Hayner said.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "But I thought you liked how the jacket smells?" he teased.

Hayner blushed. "How many times do you have to say that?" He snapped, before stopping abruptly and turning to face Seifer, looking him dead in the eyes. "I like how your jackets - how you - smell. Ego, much? Can we go now?"

Seifer chuckled, "Sure, of course." he unlocked his car, "But you're going to have to give me directions."

Hayner snorted. "Of course. I don't live very far." He climbed into the car, closing the door behind himself and pulling out his cell phone, sending a quick text to his sister telling her to take the car home when she was done and not to wait for him.

Seifer shut his own car door and started it, "Alright, well, direct away then."

"Just pull out onto the main road and keep going straight for a while, I'll tell you when to turn." Hayner said, pocketing his cell and looking around. "Your car's actually pretty decent."

"Thank you, I think." Seifer rolled his eyes, "I'm not broke or anything-I may not have the most interesting job out there, but I have been working there since I was in high school."

"Do you really hate it that much?" Hayner asked, turning one of the vents to warm himself up.

"I more than hate it, Hayner. I despise it." Seifer shrugged.

"If you could be doing anything, then, what would you want to do? You're a business major, right?" Hayner asked.

"This is gonna sound completely ridiculous, but I only decided to be a business major because there's a chance it'll give me a step up in running for some kind of government job later. And there's no way I was gonna be a lawyer or something-I wanna be president."

Hayner gaped at him. "You wanna go into politics? Wow. I was definitely not expecting that."

Seifer shrugged, "You asked."

"Take a right here." Hayner said, gesturing. "And still. I guess I can kinda see it, though."

Seifer took the turn and stopped at a stop sign before glancing at Hayner, "Really? 'Cause Leon thinks I'm insane."

Hayner shrugged. "You've got the personality for it. Strong, no nonsense, and people tend to listen when you talk. You're... charismatic, I guess." He blushed lightly, staring at his lap, fingers playing with the jacket.

Seifer smirked, his eyes back on the road as he pulled away from the stop sign, "Well, thanks."

"Make a left up here." Hayner muttered.

Seifer nodded, quiet now, and turned.

Hayner sighed and pointed. "That's my house."

Seifer pulled up to it, stopping in front of it, "Keep the jacket, alright?" he asked.

Hayner paused, having started to take it off. "But it's yours."

Seifer shook his head, "I want you to have it." he shrugged.

"Why?" Finally turning to face him, Hayner studied the other blonde. "Sure we're friends, but we barely know each other. We only see each other when we literally run into one another like in one of those cheesy made-for-TV movies. This jacket belongs to you - why would you just give it to me? I have my own, even if I forget it most days."

"Because you like it, and even if I'm not teasing you anymore, you did admit you liked how I smell, making you more likely to want to wear the jacket and less likely to catch a cold. Also, it's a gift. Just accept it." Seifer informed him, completely serious.

Hayner flushed. "I... you're weird." He muttered before grinning. "Okay, I'll keep it. But only if you come to our next movie night. Roxas has been driving me crazy that I'm the only one seeing you lately even after he invited you to hang out with us. Deal?"

Seifer smiled, "Sure, sounds good. Just lemme know when it is."

"Sure, I'll - I just realized I don't have your number." Hayner said, pulling out his cell phone and handing it to Seifer to add his number.

Seifer quickly typed in his number, "Just text me later so I have yours."

"Yeah. I will. Thanks for the jacket." Hayner smiled, pocketing his cell and reaching for the door.

"No problem." Seifer nodded, smiling back.

"Ah... See you later, then." Hayner blushed lightly, climbing out of the car and closing the door, offering Seifer an awkward wave before hurrying up to his house.

Once Hayner was inside, Seifer pulled away from the curb and turned his car around to head to his apartment.

XXXX

Hayner sat on his bed, still wearing Seifer's jacket and just breathing in the scent every once in a while. Deciding Roxas was probably out of class by now, he pulled out his cell and called him.

_"Hey, Hayner. What's up?"_

"I invited Seifer to movie night." Hayner said, leaning back against his headboard, grinning.

_"What? Holy shit, you feeling okay?"_ Roxas asked, shocked.

"Yeah. What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Hayner snapped.

_"Dude, I thought it'd take you forever to figure out you like him! Congrats."_ Roxas snickered.

"Shut up, I do not like him! Well, I do, but as a friend! Anyway, I invited him over 'cause he gave me his jacket." Hayner explained.

_"Another one?"_

"Well, I returned the other two." Hayner said.

_"Two? I thought you just had one of his."_

Hayner blushed. "I had two. Whatever, the point is I returned them and he gave me a different one."

_"Why'd he do that? Why not just give you one of the ones you had already?" _Roxas asked.

"God, Rox, don't be an ass. I told you I liked how they smelled, right? Well, it wore off the other two, so he gave me a new one." Hayner said, inhaling deeply.

Roxas laughed. _"You told him you like how he smells?"_

Hayner blushed. "Yeah. Jerk was all smug about it, too."

_"Well, duh. You just told him you got off on his scent."_ Roxas snorted.

"Shut up, I did not!" Hayner snapped.

_"Sure, sure. So, the one you got smell great?"_

"Yeah." Hayner sighed.

_"And he's coming to movie night?"_ Roxas asked.

"Yeah, I just gotta text him when." Hayner nodded.

_"Exchanged numbers? Damn, looks like I gotta re-meet him now that you two're dating." _Roxas teased.

"We are not dating, asshole! You know I'm straight." Hayner protested.

_"Right."_ Roxas said agreeably.

"I'm straight, dammit! I just find him... attractive. And he smells good. And he's charismatic and a good friend and..." Hayner trailed off.

_"That's great, Hayner. I think he's a good guy."_ Roxas said sincerely.

Hayner cleared his throat, blushing brightly. "Ah... yeah."

_"So when're we having our movie night?" _Roxas asked. _"Zexion's birthday is Thursday, so I vote not then."_

"I was thinking Saturday." Hayner said.

_"Okay. That'll work. I'll tell Pence, you tell Olette?"_ Roxas asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll call Seifer, too." Hayner said.

_"I thought you were just going to text him."_

"Right. Yeah, I'll text him." Hayner said, shaking his head.

Roxas laughed. _"I'm happy you're happy, Hay. Seriously."_

"Thanks, I guess." Hayner said skeptically, knowing Roxas believed he was going gay for Seifer. "He's not my boyfriend."

_"Sure. I'll talk to you later, okay? Can't wait for Saturday, now!"_ Roxas laughed again, hanging up.

Hayner scowled at his phone before burrowing into the jacket and texting Seifer.

XXXX

Namine hurriedly pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys, running outside and climbing into Reno's car, smiling at him. "Hi."

Reno smiled back, giving her a kiss on the cheek, "Hey."

"You call that a hello kiss?" She teased.

Reno chuckled, leaning in and giving her a real kiss.

Namine smiled, kissing him back before sighing and pulling back. A little breathlessly, she asked, "So what're we doing today?"

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to help me pick out a car." he said.

"So you really are buying a new car?" Namine asked before smiling, "I'd love to try to help."

Reno nodded, "Yeah, I've been saving for a while, at least." he shrugged, "Plus, if Riku's car breaks down one more time, Xigbar's liable to kill me." he chuckled.

Namine laughed. "He wouldn't kill you... He'd just be very... upset."

Reno chuckled, "Best to avoid it completely." he suggested, pulling away from the road and taking Namine's hand.

She squeezed his hand back. "So are you looking for a specific car or whatever you can find?"

Reno shrugged, "Nothing specific, no. Just a car. That's why I need your help."

"I don't know how much help I'll be - I don't know much about cars." Namine admitted.

Reno smiled, "You'll be plenty of help."

Namine laughed. "Are you that determined to not find a single flaw with me? Trust me, Reno, what I know about cars could probably fit in a thimble."

"Yeah, but you're sexy awesome moral support." Reno grinned.

Namine blushed. "Reno!" She squeezed his hand again.

Reno laughed.

She smiled, shaking her head at him. "How was your day so far?"

"Not bad." Reno shrugged, "Slept for most of it, though."

"That's good, though. Makes me feel less guilty for taking up your sleeping time before work." Namine said.

Reno chuckled, "Trust me, you're not taking up any time." he promised, "I love spending time with you."

"You're sweet." Namine smiled. "I like spending time with you, too."

Reno smiled at her as he stopped at a traffic light.

XXXX

Later that afternoon, Reno walked back into his apartment, Namine behind him.

"Hey, guys." Riku said from the couch with a wave.

"Hi, Riku. Where's Sora?" Namine asked.

"He had a big paper to work on, so I'm giving him some time to do it." Riku shrugged.

Reno nodded, before tossing something to his younger brother.

Barely catching it, Riku stared at the car keys in his hand. "What the hell, Reno?"

"We just got back from buying a new car, so my old one is yours now. Trash your old one before Xigbar kills me, will you?"

"You bought a new car? And you're... giving me your old one?" Riku asked, looking from the keys to Namine's smiling face to Reno.

"Well, you used it as much as I did anyway." Reno shrugged.

"Wow, thanks! What do I do with mine, though?" Riku asked, grinning.

"I'm sure Xigbar at the Rusty Wrench will know how to scrap it." Namine said. "I can ask Kairi to find out for you."

Riku nodded. "Thanks. And thanks, Reno. I was saving up for a new car, you know."

"Yeah, but I know the Box Depot doesn't pay you well, so you need to use your money for other things." he shrugged.

"I can add it to my apartment fund, then." Riku grinned.

"Apartment fund?" Namine asked.

Riku shrugged. "Yeah, for my own place. Reno's my brother, but I know he's only living with me 'cause I can't afford to live on my own."

Reno shrugged, not denying it.

"Reno's one of a kind." Namine said, putting her arm around his waist and giving him a sideways hug, smiling up at him.

Riku pretended to gag, but grinned.

Reno smiled back at her, before turning to Riku, "Try not to kill this car, kay?"

"This car wasn't my fault! But yeah, I'll take good care of it. Thanks again, Reno." Riku grinned.

Reno smiled at him, "No problem." he said, taking Namine's hand, "Come on." he tugged her towards his bedroom.

"Where are we going?" Namine asked curiously.

Riku just shook his head at the pair, pulling out his cell to text Sora about his new - well, new to him - car.

"My room. I don't think you've seen it yet." Reno answered, tugging her in that direction again.

Namine laughed and shook her head. "You haven't seen mine, either." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're here." he shrugged, opening his bedroom door and leading her in.

Namine smiled at him, looking around. "It's a very nice room." She said with laughter in her eyes.

Reno chuckled, shutting the door behind them before kissing her, "Also, I didn't want to do that in front of Riku." he said with a smirk.

"Oh." Namine blinked, staring up at him, leaning against the door a bit.

Reno smiled again, "Did I kill you?"

Namine smiled. "No. I just... okay, maybe a little." She laughed. "I told you, you make it very hard to think when you do that."

Reno chuckled, "I'm assuming you're not asking me to stop, though."

"No." Namine agreed. "Maybe I need to get used to it, so you should do it all the time so I can? Practice makes perfect." She laughed.

Reno smiled, "I can do that." he said, leaning in to give her a kiss again, pushing her back against the bedroom door.

She linked her arms around his neck, kissing him back. When they broke apart, she stared up at him, dazed.

Reno chuckled, "Alright, I don't want you completely dead."

Namine smiled at him. "Not dead." She kissed him again, sighing, keeping her eyes closed even when they parted. "We should probably stop. Riku's bound to wonder what we're doing in here."

"Riku can mind his own business and use his imagination." Reno grumbled, kissing her again.

"Okay." She mumbled, pulling him closer.

Reno smirked.

XXXX

Gahhh they are all so freaking cute I wanna squish them!

Please review! :D


	29. Happy Birthday Zex!

Axel pulled up to the high school, parking in a spot around the area where Zexion usually picked up Demyx. "How long does he usually take to get out here?" he asked the slate haired boy sitting next to him in Zexion's car.

"Not long. He's usually one of the first students to leave. You really didn't have to come with me to keep me company, you know." Zexion said, shaking his head.

"It's your birthday." Axel rolled his eyes as if this explained everything.

Zexion just shook his head again. "That shouldn't change anything – it's just another day."

Axel rolled his eyes again. Demyx hurried over to the car, climbing into the back. "Hey guys – sorry I was running a little late."

"No prob." Axel smiled, starting the car and pulling out of his spot, heading down the street.

Zexion turned in his seat to face Demyx and smiled at him. "How was school?"

Demyx shrugged. "Not bad. How was your day?"

"Surprisingly good. Usually, they go crazy for my birthday. I'm almost hopeful they listened for once when I said I didn't need an extravagant party." Zexion grinned.

Demyx smiled back, but didn't say anything in response.

"I'm picking up Roxas, too." Axel informed them, as he zoomed past the turn to get to their house and continued down the road towards Roxas's.

"That's fine, but are you racing against the clock to get there? I'm sure he'll still be there in five minutes – no need to die in a car crash due to speeding!" Zexion said, glancing nervously at the speedometer.

"I've never killed anyone." Axel insisted.

Demyx blinked. "What about serious injuries?" He asked cautiously.

Axel glared in the rear view mirror at him. "None of those either, thank you very much."

"So Roxas is coming over to hang out with you?" Zexion asked. "You guys have been getting along well."

"Yeah, definitely," Axel grinned. "The stars were a good idea."

"I still haven't seen 'em," Demyx reminded him.

"They're really not that special," Axel shrugged, taking the second turn and making his way down Roxas's street (a little slower this time). Pulling up in front, he honked his horn, knowing Roxas was waiting.

"I haven't either." Zexion told Demyx as Roxas came out, running to the car and climbing in the back.

"Hi Dem. Hi Axel." He leaned forward, kissing the redheaded before grinned at Zex. "Happy birthday, Zexion!"

Zexion managed to smile back at him. "Thank you."

Demyx smiled, and Axel glanced at his boyfriend. "Buckle up," he said as a warning before whipping the car around and heading off.

Hurriedly doing just that, Roxas laughed. "Ax, it's not like we can be late."

Zexion nodded. "The house isn't going anywhere."

Roxas's grin widened and he winked at Demyx. "Right."

Axel just shrugged. "Larx is waiting," he said in explanation.

"Um. Ax? You're going the wrong way. That was our turn back there," Zexion pointed out, frowning.

Axel didn't answer, continuing and taking the next left.

"Axel? Where are we going?" Zexion asked. Resigned, he said, "What did you do?"

Axel just laughed, finally pulling into the parking lot of a wizard-hat shaped building.

Zexion stared before turning to Axel. "The Happy Funtime Place? You guys didn't…"

"We did," Axel grinned at him. "It was Demyx's idea, actually."

Demyx smiled sheepishly.

Zexion groaned and put his face in his hands. "I'm 19, not 2."

"C'mon, Zex, it'll be fun!" Roxas grinned.

Demyx grinned, hopping out of the car and opening Zex's door, grabbing the older boy's arm, "C'mon on, Zex. I know you'll enjoy it."

Zexion blushed, climbing out of the car and letting Demyx pull him towards the building. "I don't know…"

Roxas chuckled, linking hands with Axel and following the pair. "Think he'll like it?"

"As soon as Demyx convinces him to lighten up, yes," Axel answered, locking Zexion's car and squeezing his boyfriend's hand.

"Oh, come on, I'll make sure you have fun," Demyx promised.

Zexion didn't look convinced but followed Demyx inside, spotting Cloud, Leon, and Larxene right away.

"Happy birthday, Zex! Have fun, okay?" Cloud winked, setting out food.

Roxas grinned, "This place is _awesome_."

Larxene grinned from her perch at the top of a climbing wall, hanging streamers. "I'll dunk you in the ball pit if you don't have fun," she warned.

Axel laughed. "Need any help?" he asked both of them.

"Nah, we're good," she hopped down from the wall, landing smoothly on the ground.

"Good," Axel said, pulling Roxas towards the giant play structure.

"Okay, what do you feel like doing?" Demyx asked Zexion.

Zexion smiled, shaking his head. "They always do something crazy like this – usually I just watch them be childish for a few hours."

"Not happening," Demyx shrugged, pulling him towards the play structure.

"What? But, Dem – we won't fit!" Zexion protested.

Roxas zoomed past, laughing. "You won't catch me!"

Cloud grinned and shook his head, leaning in to Leon.

Leon shifted so that his arms were around Cloud from behind. "Thanks for inviting me."

Axel zoomed after Roxas. "Wanna bet?" he asked, tackling him into the ball pit.

Demyx laughed, "Don't be so sure." He insisted.

Cloud grinned. "Of course. Wanna go pelt Axel and Roxas with those balls?"

"Okay, okay!" Roxas yelled, laughing.

Zexion worried his bottom lip. "Dem… This is crazy!"

Demyx just let go of Zexion's arm and started to climb into a tube.

"Sure." Leon nodded.

Larxene grabbed one of the discarded decoration bags and filled it with ball pit balls before dashing away.

Cloud laughed, grabbing Leon's hand and running to the ball pit, hitting a surprised Roxas.

"Whoa – Cloud?" Roxas exclaimed, before getting hit by Leon, too. "That's it, you're going down!"

Zexion hesitated outside the play tubes, glancing at the craziness that was the ball pit before leaning to peer down the tube. "Demyx?"

Demyx poked his head out from around the corner, "Don't make me drag you in here."

Zexion sighed, glancing back at everyone one more time before cautiously climbing in after Demyx.

Demyx grinned, vanishing around the corner again.

"This is insane." Zexion muttered, following him.

Demyx just laughed, leading him through.

Zexion could hear the others shouting and laughing, and he smiled, shaking his head. Suddenly, he came to another turn, the tunnel branching off in two directions and he frowned, glancing from one to the other. "Demyx?"

Demyx crawled out from around the corner, crawling over to him. "Hi."

"Do you hear them?" Zex asked, shaking his head. "Wouldn't it be more entertaining to be out there watching adults act like children?"

Demyx laughed, "Sure, we can go join them in a minute." He said.

Zexion nodded. "Then where to now?"

Demyx just smiled. "I didn't want to do this in front of them." He said, before leaning in and giving Zexion a quick kiss.

Zexion's eyes widened and he just stared at Demyx, blushing bright red, almost falling on his face.

Demyx hesitated. "Was that okay? I'm not going too fast, am I? I mean…"

"I…" Zexion shook his head, brining one hand up to his lips, eyes still wide. "That was my first kiss." He said, awed and blushing deeper.

Demyx blushed lightly, "Really?"

Zexion just nodded, still a little in shock, glancing from Demyx's eyes to his lips and back.

"Is… Did you mind?" Demyx hesitated.

"I… no," Zexion shook his head again. Glancing down, he muttered, "I hoped it would be you."

Demyx smiled, "happy birthday."

Zexion glanced up, slowly smiling. "Thanks. Does this mean… we're dating?" he asked, blushing again.

"Do you want to be dating?" Demyx asked. "Because I'd like to be."

"I'd… like that." Zexion smiled.

Demyx smiled back, relived. "Awesome. Wanna go pelt Axel and Roxas?"

"Okay." Zexion nodded, still smiling.

XXXX

Larxene felt triumphant as she perched precariously at the top of the play structure. She wasn't very stable up there – her hands were taken up by the bag she was holding – but there was a foam pit beneath her, so she was pretty sure she'd be fine should she fall.

Readjusting the bag, she grabbed a ball and grinned before lobbing it in the general direction of Cloud.

Cloud ducked the ball, whirling to hit whoever threw it only to find Axel and Roxas battling against Leon, leaving him temporarily forgotten. Hearing laughter, he glanced up and grinned.

"How did you even get up there?" Cloud laughed, pointing Larxene out to the others.

"I climbed, of course." Larxene grinned back, before chucking three more balls at him and the others.

Cloud swore, diving out of the way. Smirking, he glanced at Leon, "New target?"

Roxas smiled at Axel. "What'dya say to switching enemies?"

Demyx landed in the ball pit from the slide he had just gone down, only to be hit in the face by a bunch of balls from Larxene's barrage. He blinked.

"Changing targets sounds good." Axel smirked.

Roxas grinned and started throwing balls at Larxene.

Zexion yelped when he fell into the ball pit next to Demyx.

"Having fun?" Cloud asked.

Zexion smiled and nodded.

"Zex is having fun. Well done, Dem. Anyone want cake?" Cloud laughed.

"After we dethrone her!" Roxas yelled, throwing faster.

Demyx, not entirely sure what was going on, began chucking every thing within reach at Larxene, Leon and Axel following suit a moment later.

"Hey, wait!" Larxene shouted, surprised.

"Give up, Larx! You're outnumbered!" Cloud grinned, joining in.

Zexion shook his head, watching in amusement.

A well aimed throw hit Larxene in the face and she tumbled backwards off of her perch, landing in the foam pit.

"And the queen is down!" Roxas cheered.

"Everybody out so we can light the candles on the cake." Cloud said, climbing out and offering Leon a hand.

"Larxene? Are you okay?" Zexion called.

Larxene groaned. "Be there in a sec."

Shaking his head, Zexion smiled at Demyx, blushing a little. "Cake?"

Demyx smiled at him. "Sure."

They climbed out and headed to the table Cloud had set the cake on.

"Sit in front of it, Zexion, so we can sing." Cloud smiled.

Zexion sighed but did as he was told, smiling at the large cake and nineteen candles.

Larxene ran over, (mostly) recovered, and playfully pushed Roxas, "Did you have to knock me down?" she joked.

Roxas stuck his tongue out at her. "Of course!"

Larxene just continued to laugh.

"Okay, I'm lighting the candles!" cloud said, doing just that before smiling and glancing at everyone.

They all sang, a bit off key and not quite together, and Zexion laughed, shaking his head. At their insistence, he closed his eyes and blew out the candles.

"What'd you wish for?" Roxas asked.

Zexion glanced at Demyx. "I didn't make a wish – I already have everything I could want."

Demyx blushed lightly and smiled at him.

Larxene resisted the urge to squeal and grabbed the knife, brandishing it. Axel's eyes widened and he pounced at her, wrestling the knife from her hand. "No! You are not killing someone on Zexion's birthday again!"

"I never killed anyone!" Larxene protested even as the knife was ripped from her hand.

"Sending Cloud to the hospital is close enough, goddamn it." Axel grumbled.

Roxas stared at her wide-eyed. "You sent Cloud to the hospital?" He asked while taking the knife from his boyfriend, giving him a look to stop all protests. "Peppers."

"Yeah. It wasn't that bad, though. At least she missed my vein." Cloud said, shrugging.

"Barely." Zexion snorted. "It's a good thing I know a few skilled doctors."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "You're all ridiculous, it wasn't that bad."

Leon just raised an eyebrow.

Roxas shook his head, doling out the cake. Scooping up a piece of his own slice, he held it up to Axel's lips, grinning. "Cake?"

Cloud chuckled. "Don't worry, Leon. It really wasn't that big of a deal."

Axel accepted it with a smirk.

Leon shrugged, "I mean, people attempting murder is normal in my apartment, but you're all family, so…"

"It wasn't attempted murder." Larxene grumbled taking her won slice.

"Sure." Zexion grinned, eating his own slice of cake, occasionally smiling at Demyx.

"I mean really, why would I send Cloud to the hospital on purpose if I could just as easily have sent Axel to the hospital?" Larxene asked. "Cloud fights back."

Axel glared at her. "I fight back too, Sparky."

"Your definition of fighting back must be skewed then, 'cause flailing does not count." Larxene rolled her eyes.

Roxas laughed. "Don't worry, Axe. I believe in you." He winked at Larxene.

Cloud snickered, shaking his head, looking from the left-over cake to everyone's plates. "Take it home or… food fight?"

Zexion groaned. "Not again! That is one tradition I'll gladly skip."

"No skipping traditions!" Larxene grinned.

Demyx blinked, "You guys seriously have a food fight every year on Zexion's birthday?"

"Yep." Axel nodded. "But we do have a question to consider – do we actually want to clean this place? The maid takes care of the kitchen."

"Blasphemy!" Larxene shouted, grabbing a handful of her cake. "Stop acting like an adult on Zexion's birthday!"

"Sparky, wait!" Axel said, but to no avail – Larxene's handful of cake hit him in the face and all of his adult-like concerns about cleaning flew away.

Roxas wiped a few stray pieces that had hit his face, laughing at Axel.

Zexion quickly ducked under the table, determined to not go home covered in frosting.

Thinking fast, Demyx ducked a handful of cake and crawled under the table with him. "Having fun?" He laughed.

"They're crazy!" Zexion said but couldn't help his smile.

Cloud grabbed a handful of cake, sneaking up behind Roxas before dumped it down his shirt and using the smaller blonde as a shield so that Roxas' face was covered in cake. Roxas squirmed, yelling and laughing, trying to get away from Cloud.

Axel laughed, diving out of the way of a cake piece thrown by Leon and landing in the ball pit. Unfortunately, being in the ball pit made him a prime target for Larxene's next throw.

Cloud finally released Roxas, glancing around. "Wait, wait. Everyone – stop!" Everyone froze, although cake still hit Axel as Larx was at mid-throw.

"Where'd Dem and Zex go?" Cloud asked.

Zexion's eyes widened underneath the table and he held his breath.

Demyx resisted the urge to laugh. Axel just groaned, trying to get out of the ball pit with cake everywhere.

"I don't know. I thought they were at the table…" Roxas said, futilely wiping at the cake covering him before going to help Axel.

"Zex? Dem? Where are you hiding?" Cloud called, walking slowly to the table, motioning Leon to go around to the other side.

Together, they pulled back the tablecloth and bent down. Cloud grinned as Zexion groaned and back up right into Leon.

"Found you." Cloud said, scooping up some cake.

"But – Cloud! It's my birthday!" Zexion protested.

Cloud just laughed.

Demyx laughed as well, grabbing Zexion's arm and dragging him towards the tubes they'd been in earlier, "Come on, climb!" he grinned, diving in.

Zexion hurried after him, turning a corner in the tube just as Cloud poked his head in. "You can't hide in there forever!" The blonde yelled.

"Yes we can!" Zexion called back, slowing down his frantic pace as it was apparent Cloud wasn't following them.

Cloud turned to Leon. "Give them a few minutes or send Roxas after them?"

"What?" Roxas asked.

Cloud shrugged. "You're small enough."

"They'll run out of tube eventually. If they don't come out, we'll send Roxas in." Leon shrugged.

Zexion sighed inside the tubes, coming to a stop. "He's right; we do have to get out of here eventually."

"They can come in after us." Demyx rolled his eyes, grinning at Zexion. "I want to see Cloud or Leon climb through these."

"They'll just wait us out. Or make Roxas do it." Zexion reasoned before he paused. "I hope Roxas doesn't listen to them."

Demyx laughed.

Cloud leaned down to yell into the tubes. "Come out now and we'll have some mercy on you. Stay and Rox is coming in."

Zexion's eyes widened. "Define mercy!" He shouted.

Cloud laughed. "One piece in the face for each of you."

Zexion sighed. "Dem? I think… we should probably just get it over with."

"If they want us, they have to come in and get us." Demyx laughed. "I saw some ball pit balls around the corner, we'll set up an ambush."

Zexion stared at him. "We can't do that!"

"Why not?" Demyx raised an eyebrow.

"Because! We'll lose." Zexion protested.

"No we won't." Demyx rolled his eyes. "Come on." He headed towards where he'd seen the stray ball pit balls.

"Demyx…" Zexion hesitated before following him.

"Should I assume you refuse to come out?" Cloud yelled.

Demyx didn't answer Cloud, backing himself into a corner to await Roxas and winking at Zexion.

"Guys, don't make me come in there, please!" Roxas yelled.

Zexion looked undecided before wedging himself next to Demyx. "This is your fault when it goes badly."

"Roxas, go in." Cloud said.

Roxas groaned. "Guys!" He sighed, crawling in. "What do you want me to do, pull them out?" He asked Axel who was now watching him crawl.

"That'll work. Dump 'em in the ball pit or something." Axel shrugged.

Roxas sighed again, crawling through. "Zex? Dem? Why can't you just come out?"

Zexion angled himself slightly behind Demyx, blushing at how closely they were squished together before closing his eyes. "I can't watch."

Roxas rounded the corner, blinking at the two of them just sitting there. "Guys?"

Demyx grinned at him, raising one of the plastic balls, "Choose one. Join us or get pelted down the slide behind you."

Roxas glanced between them. "You know there's not way to avoid this, right? Maybe, maybe if you put up a creative enough fight they'll go easy or lose interest. But I doubt it. There's no where to run and this is all in fun. Right, Zexion?"

Zexion hesitated before nodding.

"I plan to go down fighting, then. I mean, really. Cloud poured cake down your back." Demyx reminded him.

Roxas glared, still feeling the stickiness between his back and his shirt. "What's the plan?" He grinned.

Zexion groaned, trying his best to hide his amusement at them both. "This is impossible!"

"Well the plan was to ambush you and make you fall down the slide, but now they're out of people small enough to fit up here." Demyx said. "Well, Larxene can try I guess."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure all of them could fit if they wanted to – they're just lazy. Larx and Ax almost definitely could fit in here." Roxas said.

"Any luck, Rox?" Cloud yelled.

"I'm trying to find them! There's too many goddamn turns in here!" Roxas yelled back, before saying to the two before him, "Better come up with a plan quick."

"And there's next to no chance of getting Larxene to turn sides." Demyx frowned. "Axel, sure, if you ask, but Larx won't give up the chance to throw cake at anyone."

"That's true. Well, that slide leads to the ball pits – any clue where the rest of this goes? If we can find another way out, we could pretend to still be up here until they eventually give up." Roxas suggested.

"If it's no fun, they'll stop." Zexion stopped.

"We haven't really explored more than this, no." Demyx shook his head. "How long until they come up looking for us, then?"

"Roxas?" Cloud called again.

Roxas shrugged. "Not very, I'd say. Let's go."

"Right." Demyx nodded.

Roxas led the way down the new section of tunnels, finding two dead ends and another that let out to the ball pits.

"Roxas? Everything okay? You stuck or something?" Cloud chuckled.

"Okay, new plan. We can all take some of these and each choose a dead end. They turn, they get hit. When they join up, we'll stop." Demyx said.

"I don't know…" Zexion bit his lip.

"If Axel comes after me, I can't guarantee pelting. Something more like pouncing, probably." Roxas grinned, laughing when Zexion blushed.

"That's fine. Like I said, if you ask, he'll totally switch sides." Demyx grinned.

"This is crazy…" Zexion muttered, shaking his head.

"Come on, Zex… you can do it." He smiled, "Have a little fun."

"Yeah, haven't you ever wanted to pelt them for something? Now's your chance!" Roxas added

"I… Fine. But I will not take the fall when it goes wrong, okay?" Zexion gave in, blushing at Demyx.

Demyx grinned. "Sounds good."

Zexion sighed, muttering about ridiculous parties and convincing blondes before choosing his tunnel, Dem and Rox doing the same.

"Rox? Axel's getting worried." Cloud yelled, causing Roxas to chuckled softly in his tunnel.

"That's it, Roxas, I'm coming in!" Axel shouted.

Roxas held his breath, waiting for Axel to appear, hoping he found him and not the other two. He grinned when a flash of red headed his way.

"You found me." Roxas grinned. "You deserve a reward."

Axel turned and blinked, not catching on. "Huh?"

Roxas rolled his eyes, slowly inching closer to the redhead. "Axel... I've defected to Dem and Zex's team. You should join us. We have candy. Well, not really. But you can have _me_ instead." The blonde smirked, leaning just close enough to kiss his boyfriend's nose.

Axel's brain snapped out of child mode and he smirked at Roxas, "I can do that." he said, inching forward so he could kiss Roxas.

Roxas grinned pressing forward, one hand grabbing onto Axel's shirtfront for balance, never once breaking the kiss.

"Axel! Did you find any of them?" Cloud yelled into the tubes, starting to get frustrated as everyone was suddenly disappearing into those stupid things.

Axel pulled back just long enough to shout, "Do you have any idea how many twists and turns there are up here? I'm workin' on it!"

Cloud cursed, turning to eye Larxene. "Go in or wait them out?"

Roxas growled, yanking Axel back to him, muttering between kisses, "I didn't give you permission to stop!"

Axel smirked into Roxas's kisses, yanking his boyfriend so that he could push him backwards against the dead end of the tube. While play tubes did not make for the best making out conditions, he would work with what he had.

Larxene grumbled, "That depends, am I going up there or are you?"

Cloud grinned. "Ladies first."

Smiling back at him, Larxene spoke, "Fuck you, Cloud." before climbing into the tube.

Leon took Cloud's hand, "You realize that they've probably turned both Axel and Roxas over to their side, right?"

Cloud shrugged. "Probably. This is still the most Zexion's ever actually had fun at one of his birthday parties, so I'm not going to complain even if Larx and I lose. I figure I'll give her ten minutes before going in myself. Guard the exit for me?"

Leon chuckled, "Sure."

"Thanks." Cloud kissed him, before yelling into the tubes, "Well, Larx? Find anyone?"

"Not ye-AH!" she shouted in pain, "What the hell?"

Demyx's maniacal laughter answered her.

"Larxene's down." Leon commented.

Cloud sighed. "Wish me luck!" He started into the tubes. "Larx? Where are you?"

"You got your point across, damn it! There's no reason to push me down the slide!"

"Great." Cloud muttered, continuing to crawl. He heard the sounds of someone making out with someone and rolled his eyes, realizing where Axel and Roxas went and giving that tunnel a wide berth. He came to a fork and took the path the screams weren't coming from, hoping to find Zexion.

Zexion froze when Cloud's head popped into his tunnel, shakily raising a play pit ball.

"Hiya, Zex. Having fun?" Cloud grinned, moving closer. "Whatcha got there?"

"Apparently we are trying to pull of a successful coup." Zexion stated.

Cloud laughed. "You won't win - I doubt you'll even throw that."

Zexion smiled. "I know, but Demyx said it would be fun, so..." Taking a deep breath, he chucked the ball at Cloud, hitting him square in the nose.

Cloud's jaw dropped. "Woah, Zex, wait!"

Zexion laughed. "He's right, it is fun!" He pelted Cloud a little clumsily with the balls, forcing the older blonde backwards until-  
"Shit!" Cloud yelled as he tumbled into the ball pit.

Zexion looked around the tunnels. "Demyx? I think we won."

"Get the hell OFF of me, Cloud!" Larxene shouted from beneath them. Demyx crawled over to where Zexion was and grinned.

"Sounds like it. Good job." he grinned.

Zexion smiled back. "Shall we?"

"Sure. Do we dare try and get Rox and Ax?" he asked.

Zexion hesitated before yelling, "Axel! Roxas! We won and are leaving now! Get out or walk home!" Turning to Demyx, he nodded. "There. Let's go." He smiled, moving to slide down, feeling Demyx move behind him. Almost together, they dropped into the ball pit.

Demyx laughed, "Well, that went well." he commented.

Zexion just shook his head. "Sure."

"Wait, wait, we're here! Don't leave!" Roxas yelled, tumbling out with Axel right behind him.

Cloud rolled his eyes before pretending to scowl at Demyx. "So apparently that was all _your _idea, huh?"

"Pretty much." Demyx shrugged, helping Zexion out of the ball pit.

Cloud sighed, shaking his head and turning to Larxene. "We can't just let him get away with that, can we? I mean, it's Zexion's birthday and yet neither are wearing cake!"

Roxas laughed as Axel pulled him out of the pits as Zexion just shook his head at Cloud.

"I can take care of that." Larxene shrugged, grabbing Demyx's arm before he could protest and tossing him into the other side of the ball pit, where the cake leftover from Axel's last trip in was still everywhere.

Roxas doubled over laughing as Leon helped Cloud out of the pit.

"Yeah, that's better." Cloud grinned. "What about Zexion, though?"

"Zexion actually knocked you down the slide." Larxene reminded him.

"That's true." Cloud said, turning to Zexion, who took a few steps back.

"It was all Demyx's idea, though. Zex was just following orders." Roxas pointed out.

Cloud grinned. "That's also true. Okay, Zex, you get a choice. I can either cake you or dump the rest on Demyx - pick one."

"What?" Zexion said, distressed, looking from Demyx to Cloud and back. "But -!"

"Tick tock, Zex. Pick one." Cloud laughed.

Zexion sighed. "Fine, you can shove a piece of cake on my face. Honestly, you'd think you were all cavemen or something."

"Leon, if you would be so kind as to get me another slice of cake?" Cloud grinned.

Leon walked over to the table to grab one of the few remaining slices of cake and handed it to his boyfriend.

"Thank you." Cloud said, walking over to Zexion and promptly smashing it onto his face. "Happy birthday, Zexion."

"Hope you had fun at least." Roxas said, grinning at Axel. "I know I did."

Zexion sighed, wiping cake off onto his arm. "Yeah. I had fun." He smiled, licking his fingers.

Demyx climbed out of the ball pit, now mostly covered in cake, "Well, that's good."

Zexion smiled at him. "Home?" He asked.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I think we're done."

"Are we actually leaving the cake everywhere?" Demyx asked, confused, "I mean, it's all over the ball pit."

"We're leaving extra money for the cleaning costs." Cloud waved a hand. "All we have to worry about now is cleaning ourselves up and getting home. Are you coming over?" He directed the last part to Leon.

"Sure." Leon nodded.

Cloud grinned. "Great. How about you, Roxas?"

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah, I'd like to." He squeezed Axel's hand.

"Okay, Zex, what do you want for your birthday dinner? Someone can get it on the way."

"...Chinese, I guess." Zex shrugged.

"Sure. Leon and I will take care of things here. Larxene, could you go get the food? Everyone else, you guys can just go home and clean up. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded, all leaving the building besides Cloud and Leon. Zexion grabbed Demyx's hand, blushing but holding onto it. "Thanks for the fun today. It was... entertaining."

Demyx smiled back, squeezing his hand, "No problem. Glad you enjoyed it."

XXXX

Reno plopped down onto the couch, glancing at his brother, who was sitting in a chair, "Hey, whatcha doing?"  
"Learning how to play the piano." Riku rolled his eyes. "What does it _look _like I'm doing?"

Reno rolled his eyes, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

Riku snorted, shaking his head. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Waiting for Namine. She's on her way over." Reno shrugged.

"Oh. Okay." Riku nodded. "You guys doing anything special or...?"

Reno shrugged, "Probably just hanging out here. That okay? And where's Sora, anyway?"

"Sure. And working on homework or something." Riku shrugged.

Reno just nodded, leaning back on the couch, but hopping up as he heard a knock on the door.

Namine smiled when he opened the door. "Hi."

"Hey." Reno leaned in to give her a quick kiss, but didn't want to make his brother uncomfortable and pulled back quickly, letting Namine into the apartment and shutting the door behind her.

Namine smiled, sighing a little.

"Hey, Nami." Riku said as they walked into the living room and sat down together.

"Hi, Riku. How are you?" She asked.

"Good, how about you?" Riku grinned.

Namine smiled back, glancing at Reno and taking his hand. "I'm well."

Reno smiled at her.

Riku rolled his eyes. "No coupley stuff while I'm sitting here, okay?"

Namine laughed. "Of course, Riku! We have to let you get used to the idea first!"

Riku paled slightly. "No thanks! Do not want the mental image!"

Reno laughed, but his cell phone ringing interrupted it. Sending Namine and Riku an apologetic glance, he pulled it out. "What's Zack calling me for?" he blinked.

"Who knows?" Riku shrugged. "If you don't answer it, he'll just keep calling or show up here."

"You should answer it, then. It could be important." Namine nodded.

"Alright." Reno shrugged, flipping his phone open and lifting it to his ear, "But Zack has this tendency to go on and on and on and on and on-"

"_Hey! I do not!"_ Zack yelled.

Reno laughed, "Yes, you do. What's up?"

"_Aw, Reno." _Zack pouted for a minute before saying, _"Guess what?"_

"What?" Reno answered, leaning back and putting his other arm around Namine, accidentally (or possibly on purpose, it _was_ Reno) dragging her back with him.

Namine smiled at him and Riku rolled his eyes.

"_You're supposed to guess! I'll give you a hint - I got a verrrry interesting phone call today."_ Zack said.

"That is not a hint." Reno chuckled, knowing Zack would give in eventually.

"_Reno, you're being no fun! Are you not alone or something?"_

"Riku and Namine are here." Reno laughed, "And I'm being plenty of fun, I just have absolutely no idea."

"_HI RIKU! HI NAMINE!"_ Zack yelled.

Reno pulled the phone away from his ear as he jumped, shouting into it, "_FUCK, _Zack, you don't have to _yell_ it! I'll put you on speaker for god's sake!" Hitting the button to put his best friend on speakerphone, he put the phone down on the table in front of them and rubbed his abused ear.

"_Sorry."_ Zack said sheepishly. _"Hi Riku and Namine! Guess what?"_

"What now, Zack?" Riku groaned.

"_Aw, are you cranky because Sora's not there?"_ Zack asked.

"No!" Riku yelled, blushing a little.

"_That's okay, I won't tell." _Zack laughed. _"Come on, somebody guess something!"_

"You won the lottery?" Namine said.

"_Nope! Guess again!"_ Zack said cheerfully.

"Aerith's having twins?" Namine asked.

"_What! She is? Wait - no, that's not it." _Zack said.

Reno rolled his eyes, "What _is_ it, Zack?"

"_Wakka called me - he's a friend of mine"_ Zack added, more for Riku and Namine than for Reno, _"and someone rented out his place for the entire day! The entire day!"_

"What place?" Namine asked.

"_Oh, sorry. He owns the Happy Funtime Place." _Zack explained.

"Who can afford to rent out the Happy Funtime Place for the _entire_ day?" Reno blinked, "Place is pretty big, right?"

"_Yeah, it's huge! It's got tunnels and ball pits and swings and places to eat and benches and did I mention ball pits?"_ Zack said.

"Sounds like you've been there before." Riku commented.

"_Yeah, I love playing around in there!"_ Zack said happily.

"Who rented it out, do you know? Was it for a special occasion or something? Maybe someone wanted to have their child's birthday there." Namine suggested. "It's a kids place, right?"

"Yeah." Riku nodded.

"_I think Wakka said it was for a birthday, actually. Maybe."_ Zack said.

"Oh! I think I heard Roxas telling Sora about it - I'm pretty sure Axel and his roommates were going to take Zexion there for his birthday. Maybe they ended up renting the place." Riku said.

"_Roxas? Axel? Zexion?"_ Zack asked, confused.

"Roxas, Sora's younger brother, is dating Axel who lives with Zexion." Riku quickly explained.

"_Sounds confusing."_ Zack laughed. _"But oh man, what a great birthday idea! Hey, Reno - whatcha doing for yours?"_

"It's your birthday soon?" Namine asked, looking at Reno.

Reno nodded at Namine, "Yeah, on the 27th. But I'm not doing anything." he shrugged, "I mean, honestly, Zack, when do I ever do anything for my birthday?"

"_Come on! It's not like you're getting so incredibly old or something! Riku, take your brother out for his birthday!"_ Zack demanded.

"Yeah, right. I've tried, Aerith's tried. He's no fun." Riku stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"I'm turning 25, not 16." Reno rolled his eyes, "Birthdays aren't really that big of a deal after 21 anyway." he said, "And all people do when they turn 21 is get drunk, and I can do that whenever." he reminded his brother.

"_At least promise you won't sulk at home! We should go out or something!"_ Zack said.

Namine stood. "Excuse me for one moment." She slipped into the bathroom, pulling out her cell.

Reno's shout of, "I don't sulk at home!" reached her from the living room.

Quickly dialing, she waited for the line to be picked up. "Aerith? Hi, it's Namine."

XXXX

Aerith blinked as Namine spoke, glancing at her husband who was having an energetic argument with Reno and Riku on the phone. "Namine? Hello. Is everything okay?" she asked even as she nudged Zack.

_"Yes, everything's fine. I was wondering if you could help me with something, though." _Namine said.

"Sure, of course." Aerith answered, "Er... you do realize that my husband was talking to you literally a second ago, right?" she asked, "I mean... he's still talking to Reno and Riku and he's sitting next to me."

Namine laughed. _"I know, but I didn't want Reno to hear this part - I want to throw him a surprise party."_

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Aerith grinned. Nudging Zack again, she whispered, "Be right back," and stood up, walking into the kitchen, "What did you have in mind? Every attempt Riku and I have had to make him celebrate his birthday for the last three years has failed, but he's pretty likely to go along with anything you do."

"_Well, I was hoping to have it somewhere big enough for everyone, and somewhere that he won't be suspicious of. Do you think his boss would let us use the Chocolate Chocobo?" _Namine asked hopefully.

"Most likely, if she doesn't have anything else planned. Tifa's a good friend of mine, would you like me to call her and set it up? That way you wouldn't have to worry about it. I can call her now, actually." Aerith glanced at the clock on the stove, "She wanted to tell me about her date anyway."

"_That would be great! Thank you! I think it'd be best if Reno thought he was working - that way, we don't have to worry about him getting there. I'll tell Riku later, and of course you'll tell Zack. Is there anyone else that should be invited?"_ Namine asked.

Aerith thought for a moment, "Well, there's Rude." she said, "I can ask Zack to call him, he knows him better." she began to list off people in her head, "Yeah, there's a few more people, but Zack and I can handle getting them there."

"_That'd be great! Would Tifa be willing to provide food? Sora's brother is an extremely talented baker - I can get a cake from him."_ Namine said.

"I'm sure she would, but I'll check and let you know for sure." Aerith said, "Lemme call her now, and I'll send you a text and you can call me later for the details of what she says." she suggested.

"_That'd be great! Do you think he'll like this?" _Namine said, suddenly worried Reno would be uncomfortable.

"I think he will." Aerith smiled, "Even besides the fact that it's an awesome idea, Reno would love anything you planned for him."

Namine smiled. _"Okay. I'm excited! I'd better go before he starts to get worried, but I'll talk to you later!"_

"Sounds good! And thanks, Namine." Aerith smiled.

XXXX

Jasmine: I need your AN's so I can post.

Cami: But I have no ideas.

Jasmine: ...But I need them to post.

Cami: But I have NO ideas!

Jasmine: ...But-

Cami: None!

Jasmine: -sighs- Fine. Cami has no ideas, so I guess I'll just say I hope you liked it and I really love these characters :)

Cami: Sounds good.

Jasmine: Quiet, you.

Please review! :D


	30. Xigbar Gives Out Some Advice

Hey guys! Jasmine here. I think this is one of my favorite chapters so far :) Alice - this is totally dedicated to you! :D

Hope you all like it!

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Hayner pulled open the door, grinning at Roxas and Pence. "Hey."

"Hi." Pence said, making his way inside.

"He here yet?" Roxas asked, smirking.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "No."

"Who?" Pence asked.

Hayner closed the door and herded them into the living room. "I invited Seifer to come over, too."

"Ah, the guy who punched the idiot making fun of you guys? Nice." Pence said, nodding and taking a seat.

"He's also the guy Hayner has the hots for." Roxas teased.

"No way!" Hayner snapped.

"You like him?" Pence asked.

Hayner blushed. "He's just a friend, okay?"

Pence held his hands up. "Okay, okay. Where's Olette?"

"She has a big science lab or something that she's working on with her group in the labs on campus." Hayner shrugged.

"Poor 'Lette." Roxas winced.

Pence nodded. "Yeah. Hey! That means we can watch the really good gory horror movies, since she won't be here." He smiled.

Roxas punched him before sitting down, too. "You know Hay and I don't like that stuff either."

Pence rolled his eyes. "It's all fake!"

"Still creepy." Hayner muttered.

"Ooh, don't want to be scared in front of Seifer?" Roxas teased. "Where's his jacket? Still smell good or did it wear off?"

"Ass!" Hayner hissed, blushing.

"You have his jacket? Whoa, you really do like him!" Pence exclaimed.

"Shut up, both of you!" Hayner snapped.

"Hay loves Seif's cologne." Roxas told Pence.

"Ah." Pence said, studying his embarrassed friend.

"It smells good, okay?" Hayner muttered.

"Sure. I'm gonna go make the popcorn." Pence said, standing and heading to the kitchen.

Roxas opened his mouth but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Ooh, that must be him!" He squealed.

Hayner threw the nearest pillow at his laughing friend before yanking the door open. "Hi."

Amused, Seifer nodded, "Hey."

Hayner held the door open wider to let him in, closing it behind him and leading him into the living room.

"Hi Seifer." Roxas grinned. "Nice to see you again."

Seifer nodded at him, "Hey."

Pence walked in with a bowl of popcorn. "Oh, hi." He said, setting down the bowl and offering his hand to Seifer. "I'm Pence. You must be Seifer. Thanks for watching out for these two hotheads." He grinned.

"Hey!" Roxas and Hayner protested in unison.

Seifer chuckled, "No problem. Nice to meet you."

Pence grinned.

Roxas smirked at Hayner before asking, "So, Seifer. Did you bring Hayner another jacket to replace the other one of your's he has? I'm sure the smell wore off, huh, Hayner?"

"Roxas, you're a dick." Hayner growled, blushing brightly.

Seifer chuckled again, but decided not to answer, having his own secret plan to enact.

"So did we pick a movie yet?" Pence asked, deciding to take pity on Hayner.

"Nope! What're you in the mood for, Seifer?" Roxas asked, gesturing to the only available seating left, the couch, smirking at Hayner. "Why don't you two sit and get nice and cozy? Oh! I bet he smells better than the jacket, Hayner!"

Hayner pulled Roxas into a headlock. "Shut the hell up!"

Roxas jabbed Hayner's stomach, forcing him to drop his hold. "Make me."

"Gladly!" Hayner snarled, yanking Roxas up by his shirt.

Roxas kicked his shin and they both fell to the living room floor. Hayner managed to get a solid punch in to Roxas's gut, but Rox also hit his shoulder.

"Guys! Knock it off!" Pence yelled.

Seifer had been amused when the arguing had started (I mean, really, his frequent squabbling with Leon was almost identical) but when the two began to pull punches was when he refused to let it go on. Grabbing Hayner's arm, he pulled the blonde sharply backwards away from Roxas. "Stop it."

Hayner glared at him, jerking his arm to try to get the taller blonde to let go. "What the hell?"

Roxas grinned and sat up on the floor. "Gee, thanks Seifer!"

Pence rolled his eyes. "Don't start _again_. Let's just pick a movie already."

Hayner glared at Roxas before reluctantly nodding.

Seifer tugged Hayner towards the couch, silent.

"Okay, okay. You can let go now!" Hayner snapped, flushing as he sat on the couch.

Roxas snickered. "You two are so cute."

"For the love of god, we aren't dating Rox! Get that into your freaking thick-ass skull! God, how does your boyfriend stand you?" Hayner yelled.

Roxas smirked. "Sure, Hay. And you know Ax loves me."

"That's right. Great. Movie?" Pence asked, waving a handful of DVDs in the air.

Seifer let go of Hayner, ready to grab him again if he made any move to lunge at Roxas, and nodded at Pence, "Just put something in before they destroy something." he suggested.

"We're done fighting, Rox is just a dick." Hayner muttered.

"Yeah, Hay's an oblivious ass." Roxas grinned.

Pence smiled at Seifer. "They're always like this, sorry."

Seifer shook his head, "I'm the same way with one of my roommates." he shrugged.

"Really?" Hayner asked, looking at him curiously.

Roxas snorted. "Hanging onto his every word, are we? You've got it bad."

"I do not!" Hayner yelled, blushing. "Pence, put something on already!"

"Well, I want to watch the horror movies, but you guys don't like them... What about you, Seifer, you like horror? Rox and Hay both get scared."

"We do not!" They snapped together.

"Then why not the horror movies?" Seifer shrugged. "I'm fine with it."

Pence grinned. "Great!" He put one on and sat back, grabbing a handful of popcorn as the movie started.

"I'm gonna grab some sodas." Roxas said, standing and heading to the kitchen.

Hayner leaned forward and grabbed a huge handful of popcorn. "Want some?" He asked Seifer, gesturing to the popcorn bowl.

Seifer shook his head, "Later." he nodded.

Hayner shrugged, leaning back and eating, watching the movie.

A few minutes later, Roxas came back and set several drinks onto the table before curling up into his chair.

"Ooh, here it comes! What a slow buildup." Pence commented, on the edge of his seat and excitedly watching the introduction of the monster.

"R-right." Roxas said, paling.

Hayner focused on the clock hanging above the TV.

Seifer glanced at him, "You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah." He nodded, reaching for a drink. He had just picked it up when an earsplitting scream resounded from the TV and he jumped, dropping the drink.

"Fuck!" Roxas yelled, covering his eyes and watching the movie from between his fingers.

"Shit!" Hand shaking, Hayner picked up the drink and set it back on the table.

Pence snickered. "It's so fake!"

Seifer hesitated, not really creeped out by the movie in the slightest, but not wanting to freak Hayner out either. Baby steps were always the best methods in changing someone's sexual orientation, and comforting was not a baby step in this situation.

Abandoning the drink, Hayner leaned back, trying to watch the movie while repeating 'it's not real' over and over in his head.

"Ah, I love it when they do this! Hurry up and open the door!" Pence grinned.

"For the love of god, do not open that fucking door!" Roxas snapped.

"Holy shit, don't do it!" Hayner agreed.

Both Hayner and Roxas screamed when the door opened onscreen and Pence laughed. "Look at that! It's so horribly done! You can tell it's just plastic and makeup!"

Seifer moved so that his arm was on the couch above Hayner but not *quite* over his shoulders, just to be available since the boy was already screaming and they were only twenty minutes into the two hour movie.

Pence reached for the popcorn, watching the movie happily. Roxas was cowering in his chair, still watching through his fingers, and Hayner was sitting stiffly on the couch, trying not to scream anymore.

"Oh, there's no more popcorn. I'll get some more." Pence said, standing.

"I'll get it!" Roxas said, shooting up and out of his seat, fleeing to the kitchen.

"Good, because the best part is coming up!" Pence declared, sitting back down.

Hayner paled. "Best part?"

"Yeah, you'll see." Pence laughed.

Hayner swallowed loudly.

Roxas came back with more popcorn, placing the bowl on the table but didn't sit down. "I forgot I have to... check in with a group for a project at school! I'll be in the kitchen talking to them. Call me when it's over."

Pence laughed. "Scared, Rox?"

"Yes!" He yelled, fleeing.

The characters one by one were dropping like flies in the movie. As one of the last survivors wandered the forest alone at night, Hayner muttered, "Please stay alive."

"Not gonna happen!" Pence said cheerfully.

The monster jumped the character, and the chase began, the music building.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Ahhhh!" Hayner screamed with the character when they got caught, blindly reaching out and grabbing onto Seifer, heart racing, eyes clenched shut.

Seifer dropped his arm to be around Hayner's shoulders as a comfort, figuring that if Hayner grabbed him first, it was okay. "You all right?" he muttered.

Hayner jumped when he felt Seifer's arm go around him, peeking at the screen just in time to watch the character's slow death begin. Screaming again, he whirled to face Seifer, eyes wide in terror.

"Hay, you're missing the best part!" Pence chuckled, watching intently.

Seifer pulled him closer, "Just close your eyes, I'll tell you when it's over." he suggested, resisting the urge to smirk.

Hayner gulped and nodded, closing his eyes tightly and trying to block out the sounds. He relaxed once the sounds died down, but kept his eyes closed, just taking deep breaths and trying not to panic any more than he already had.

"Oh, wow! Did you see that, Seifer? Amazing!" Pence said.

Seifer just chuckled.

Hayner peeked at Seifer, flushing a little. "Is it over?" He whispered.

"Almost." Seifer promised.

Hayner nodded.

"And... wow! That was pretty good." Pence said, sitting back and grinning, noticing how close the two on the couch were but deciding not to comment. He'd leave the teasing to Roxas.

"You can open your eyes now." Seifer told Hayner.

Hayner sighed, opening his eyes. Blushing a little, he muttered, "Thanks."

Seifer shook his head, smirking a little, "No problem."

"Rox! It's over!" Pence called.

Hesitantly, Roxas walked back in, pocketing his cell and relaxing once he saw the credit rolling onscreen. Then he glanced at Hayner and smirked.

"Wow, Hayner. Comfy?" Roxas teased.

Hayner's blush deepened and he pulled away from Seifer. "Shut up, at least I watched the damn movie instead of running like a scared little girl!"

Seifer chuckled, leaning back on the couch.

Pence turned off the movie, replacing the DVD in its case. "As fun as that was, I should go. Need a ride, Rox?"

Roxas snickered. "Yeah. You two behave now, you'll have the house all to yourselves! Use condoms and lube, kiddies."

Hayner's fists clenched and he jumped up. "Shut the hell up!"

Roxas grinned, waved at Seifer, and dashed for the door, yelling to Pence that he would meet him at the car.

Pence stepped in front of Hayner before he could give chase. "This was fun. Nice to meet you, again, Seifer. Don't let Hayner's blood pressure kill him."

Seifer chuckled, "Nice to meet you too."

"He was kidding, Hayner, chill out. See you later." Pence waved, leaving.

Hayner shook his head, taking a deep breath. "Roxas is such an asshole." He muttered.

Seifer chuckled again, "Yeah, so is Leon, and yet I manage to live with him somehow."

"I think I'd kill Rox if I lived with him." Sighing, Hayner plopped back down onto the couch.

Seifer nodded, "Probably."

"Ah, so now what? You have to go? Or do you want a tour or something of more than just the living room?" Hayner asked.

"I can stay for a little while if you want." Seifer shrugged.

"Okay." Hayner nodded, light pink dusting his cheeks. "Tour? Another movie? Awkward staring contest?"

"A tour is fine." Seifer chuckled. "Your parents home? I'm guessing not, since they didn't get mad about the shouting." he commented.

Hayner shook his head. "Nah, they're hardly ever home. Their jobs are really demanding, so it's mostly just me and my sister, Olette."

Seifer nodded, "Ah..."

"Yeah." Hayner stood. "So... follow me, I guess." Waiting for Seifer to stand, Hayner nodded and led him out of the living room. "Right, so... hallway. Bathroom's that door, that's a closet, kitchen's back here." They walked through the kitchen. "That goes to the basement, which is mostly storage." He led Seifer back to the hallway and up a flight of stairs. "Ah, bathroom, parent's room, Olette's room, and this is my room." He opened the last door and stepped inside, moving out of the way so Seifer could enter. He glanced around, relieved it wasn't too much of a mess - his desk was a stack of books and papers, and Seifer's jacket was slung over the chair. His bed was made, thankfully, and no dirty laundry littered the floor, although his closet door was open, which he hurried to close, blushing a bit. "Yeah... Nothing special." He shrugged.

Seifer shrugged, "I like it." He pulled off the jacket he was wearing and held it, before stretching a little, "Read a little?" he commented.

"Yeah, I guess. Mystery, mostly." Hayner gestured to his small bookcase. "But usually, I'm playing soccer or doing homework. Not much time for reading. What about you?" He asked, sitting on his bed. "Oh, sorry, you can sit at the desk or something." He muttered.

Seifer nodded, sitting down on the desk chair, "Yeah, sometimes, but mostly schoolbooks." he shrugged.

"Yeah. At least my history books are interesting. I think I'd go crazy with just business texts like you." Hayner grinned.

Seifer chuckled, "Yeahhh..."

"Don't you do anything besides classwork and regular work? Hang out with friends? Have a weird hobby? Something?" Hayner asked, curious.

"Mostly work." Seifer shrugged, "Unless you count arguing with my roommates a hobby."

"If you don't get along with them, why live there?" Hayner asked.

Seifer laughed, "They're my best friends." he shrugged, "But Leon and I argue like... well, Xigbar calls us an old married couple." he said, "But still, I wouldn't trade 'em for anything." he shrugged again.

"Ah. Well, that's cool then." Hayner smiled.

Seifer smiled back, "So, what are you planning to do after school? Live here for awhile, or are you gonna try and find your own place?"

"I don't know, I guess it depends if I can find a good job or not." Hayner shrugged. "I want to eventually be a museum curator, but it's not like it's a popular field. I'll probably have to take some crap job for a while to save up for my own place unless I can find a roommate or something." Hayner shrugged again.

Seifer nodded, "Well, things have a tendency to work out, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks." Hayner smiled. "What about you, do you want your own place eventually?"

"Eventually, yeah." Seifer nodded, "Both of my roommates have pretty serious significant others, so they'll be house shopping before any of us know it."

"Oh. Well, that kinda sucks for you." Hayner frowned. "You have two roommates, right? So there's probably no way you could just keep your current apartment once they leave..."

Seifer shrugged, "I'll find my own place by then. Besides, we're not talking next week. It'll be a few months at least."

"Right." Hayner nodded. "Well... good luck."

"Thanks." Seifer nodded.

Hayner smiled. "Sure."

Seifer stood up, "All right, I should get going."

"Oh... right." Hayner stood, too. "Ah, I'll walk you out, I guess." He said, moving to his bedroom door.

Seifer nodded, grabbing one of the jackets that were draped over the back of the chair and following him.

Hayner led him back downstairs and to the front door, standing there awkwardly as Seifer pulled on his jacket. "I guess I'll... see you around?" He asked, trying not to blush.

Seifer nodded, "Probably, yeah. You have my number, anyway, feel free to text me or call me or something." he shrugged.

"Okay. Yeah." Hayner nodded, smiling.

Seifer nodded again, "See you later." he waved, heading out the door.

"Bye." Hayner said, watching him walk towards his car before shutting the door, sighing. He headed upstairs to text his sister to see how far she was in her project. Entering his room, he paused, frowning at the jacket on his chair. It was draped across the left side, and Hayner usually put it on the right... Striding over to it, he picked it up and was surprised to find it not the same jacket and still warm. Eyes widening, he ran downstairs and threw open the door, but Seifer was already gone. Running back upstairs to his cell, he texted him, telling him he had grabbed the wrong jacket.

Seifer's response was simple. '_No I didn't.'_

Hayner snorted, dialing Seifer's number, prepared to yell at the idiot for texting while driving. And then call him on the jacket thing. Idiot.

Seifer didn't answer.

Hayner left him a message. "It's Hayner. You're an idiot for texting and driving - do you want to die? Asshole. And you did too take the wrong jacket! I'll bring this one to school or something. Call me or something later so I know you're not bleeding on the side of the road somewhere. Bye." Shaking his head, he hung up and fell onto his bed, still holding the jacket.

XXXX

Seifer walked back into his apartment holding the jacket he'd stolen back from Hayner (completely on purpose, despite what he was trying to convince Hayner) and tossed the jacket onto the couch before plopping onto it face first.

Xigbar walked out of the kitchen holding a drink, heading for his room but detouring into the living room when he noticed Seifer. He sat down and just waited, taking a drink.

Seifer turned his head towards his roommate. "Yes?"

"What happened?" Xigbar bluntly asked.

Seifer just groaned, "I have a problem."

Xigbar snorted. "Since when has your hand become not enough for the 'problem'?"

Seifer snatched one of the couch pillows and chucked it at his face, "Fuck, Xig, you have absolutely no sense of what a problem is."

Xigbar caught the pillow, laughing. "Okay, okay. What's up?"

"As you no doubt remember because I've had too many people threatening me over it, I'm in the process of attempting to convert Hayner Dicicco." Seifer said bluntly.

"Aw, not going so well?" Xigbar asked, trying his best not to smirk.

Seifer turned face down on the couch again, groaning, "Going too well."

Xigbar paused, setting down his drink. "How can it go too well? You want him to fall for you, right? So, if he is, mission accomplished."

"Yes, he is supposed to fall for me." Seifer said, gesturing with his hands as he turned to face Xigbar again, "I, however, am not supposed to care in the _slightest_ about him."

"Yeah right." Xigbar snorted. "Are you seriously trying to tell me you care for this kid? Quit the bullshitting and tell me what the real problem is."

"Why do I have the feeling that _Leon_ would be more helpful than you in this situation as he tries to butcher me with kitchen knives?" Seifer responded.

"Because you're deranged." Xigbar said seriously. "C'mon, Seifer. What's the problem?"

"I've already told you the problem."

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's pretend that the problem really is that you actually care about Hayner. Why, exactly, is that a bad thing? Maybe it'll stop you from breaking him and getting your ass kicked by me and Roxas, to name a few of the people who would kill you over this."

"Because I don't _care_ about people, Xig." Seifer informed him, "I mean... besides you and Leon, dare I admit it, I care about _no one._"

"I don't know whether to be grateful I'm on that short list or to just laugh at your patheticness." Xigbar smirked. "I still don't get why you're freaking about this... Unless... Are you actually worried about screwing it up?"

Seifer groaned, burying his head in the couch again, "Not worried about screwing it up. Worried that I don't _want_ to eventually screw it up."

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you trying to tell me you want to have an actual, steady relationship with this guy?" Xigbar asked, incredulous.

Seifer groaned in response.

"A real relationship. That lasts for months instead of weeks. Maybe even years. Seeing no one else. Flirting with no one else. Curling up on the couch or in bed with him, going on dates with him. You want all that with him?" Xigbar asked, forcing the issue, trying to make sure he was understanding.

"_Fuck_, I don't know, Xig!" Seifer said, "All I know is that for some reason, I don't want to hurt this kid, and that's _not_ supposed to happen."

"Hmm..." Xigbar sat back, thinking. "Maybe it's your survival instincts finally kicking in? You know you really will get hurt if you break this one?"

"I have no doubt you'd murder me, Xigbar, but when you and Roxas threatened me I can honestly say I wasn't the least bit scared." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"So then... why? What's so different about Hayner?" Xigbar asked. "Assuming you are getting attached and not lying to me, of course."

"I don't even _know._" Seifer sighed.

Xigbar sighed. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing you don't want to hurt him - maybe when you finally break it off it'll be more amicable than your other 'relationships' and he can find a nice guy to fill your place and treat him right."

Seifer sighed, "Tell me the truth, Xig. Should I just back off now before something starts?"

Xigbar's jaw dropped. "Are you scared? Holy shit, you're scared! You're scared of getting attached and actually fucking feeling something! Damn, I gotta meet this kid!"

"Ask your dessert god, I'm sure he'll set up a meeting." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you're definitely spooked. Damn." Xigbar shook his head. "You really want my advice? Stick with it and see how it goes. You might actually learn what a real relationship is like."

Seifer groaned again, "I don't want to know what a real relationship is like, I want to continue to be as fucked up as always."

Xigbar snorted. "I doubt it'll be all that much fun now that you're hooked on him, though. All you'll be able to picture is him." Xigbar nodded wisely.

"Hayner is not Kairi, and I am not you." Seifer reminded him, "Just saying."

"No shit, sherlock." Xigbar rolled his eyes. "But for _you_ to worrying about something like this means you're a goner."

Seifer just groaned again.

Xigbar laughed, standing up and grabbing his drink. "If you're going to brood, I suggest moving to your room before Leon gets home. I don't need to mop up blood tonight, thanks."

"Where _is _Leon, anyway?"

"With Cloud, probably. Or working. Or... who knows." Xigbar shrugged. "It wasn't my turn to watch him."

Seifer chuckled, "Sure as hell wasn't mine either."

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "Regardless, don't let him catch you brooding. You know you'll fight over it, don't try to deny it. So just go to your room or something? It'll be better for your neck, anyway, than that piece of shit couch."

Seifer chuckled again, "Yeah, probably." he stood up, stretching his neck out, "See you later."

Xigbar nodded. "Hey, Seif? Keep me posted, all right?"

"Yeah. Will do. Thanks." Seifer said, before vanishing into his room and shutting the door.

Xigbar stared at the door. Slowly, he blinked. He took half a step towards it, shook his head, and went to his room, muttering about everybody going insane.

XXXX

I really really really love Hayner. And Seifer. And Roxas. And Xigbar. :D They are all so hilarious!

Let us know if you liked it and please review!


	31. Who ARE All These People?

Namine finished rearranging the buffet for the fourth time, hurrying over to Aerith. "Oh, is everything ready? Do you think he'll like it? Where is he?"

Aerith laughed, putting her hands on Namine's shoulders, "Calm down. He's going to love it. And he's not even scheduled to be here for another half hour-we're just betting on him being early like usual, remember?" Glancing over Namine's shoulder, she snapped, "Gippal! Put the lamp down! Now!"

"Sorry Aerith!"

"You're right, it's just - there're so many people here!" Namine said, eyes wide as she yet again scanned the crowd of mostly unfamiliar faces.

Zack grabbed her from behind. "This is so awesome! I'm so excited to see his face!" He grinned, dashing off to hug someone else.

"Well, Reno moved out of the town where we grew up, and hasn't seen most of these people since he left." Aerith shrugged, "I mean... he sees Zack, of course, but beyond that. He hasn't seen Paine since high school, and he's never even _met_ Baralai. Gippal came by to visit once, but that was it." She stopped herself before continuing on to list every single person in the room. "Basically, every person I thought of led to more people." she admitted.

Namine nodded. "Okay. That's fine. This'll be great. I've just gotta... walk around." She left Aerith and made her way to where Riku and Sora were huddled together slightly off to the side. "Hi. You guys okay? Everything look okay?"

"Relax, Nami, everything's fine. He's gonna love it." Riku grinned, pulling Sora closer.

"Right. Of course." Namine said, trying not to fidget.

Sora laughed, "I've never seen you more worried about something." he commented, leaning into Riku, "Seriously, you never freak out like this. You know everything's going to be fine."

"I'm just so worried he's going to hate it or something's going to go wrong..." Namine confessed.

"Breathe. He'll love it - it was a great idea. And nothing will go wrong; Aerith and Tifa have everything under control." Riku said.

"You're right. I just wish he'd get here." Namine said.

"He's probably on his way." Riku shrugged.

"Oh, I should find Aerith and make sure everyone knows this is a surprise!" Namine said, turning around and heading back to the brunette just as someone near the windows shouted, "I think he's here!"

"Oh god, okay, everyone hide! Remember to shout surprise!" Namine yelled.

"He's here, he's here, he's here!" Zack grinned, running around flailing.

"Zack!" Aerith hissed as everyone hid themselves.

Zack grinned, bouncing over to her, spinning her in a quick circle. "He's here! Oh man, this is gonna be great!"

"Zack, get under the goddamn table!" Tifa shouted from across the restaurant, just as the sound of the door opening could be heard. Thinking quickly, Aerith literally tackled her husband to the ground so that they were behind one of the booths, her hand over his mouth.

Namine held her breath, leaning forward on her knees from her position under a table and staring intently at the door.

It opened, and Reno walked in, yawning (he must have been napping before coming to work) before realizing that the lights were off. Blinking and glancing back out to confirm that, yes, the parking lot was half full, he turned back to the seemingly empty restaurant.

Springing up along with everyone else, Namine joined into the yell of "Surprise!".

Reno literally jumped, a surprise party having been the last thing he'd been expecting. He'd slept half the day away and was planning on _working_ the rest of it, after all. Eyes falling on Namine, his mouth settled into a pleasant smirk, "I'm going to assume this was your doing?" he asked.

Namine laughed and walked to him, kissing his cheek. "Happy birthday, Reno!"

Reno chuckled, "Thank you," as he grabbed her hand, "I told you I don't make a big deal out of my birthdays, though, so... why?"

"Because you should! Your family and friends want to help celebrate another year of you! Right?" Namine asked the room, laughing at the resounding chorus of 'yes!'. "Come on, let's get you a drink and then you can see just who came to the party!"

Reno chuckled, "Alright."

"Happy Birthday, Reno!" Tifa and Aerith chorused from the back of the restaurant, Aerith having apparently let her husband up.

Namine took his hand and led him to the bar, slipping around the side. "Tonight, I'll serve you the drink. What'll it be, sir?" She smiled.

Reno chuckled, "How about just a beer for now, and I'll have something else later?" he asked.

She winked at him, handing him the beer and leaning over the bar. "There you go!"

"Reno! Happy birthday, happy birthday!" Zack yelled, practically jumping Reno before he could respond, causing Namine to laugh.

Reno laughed as well, narrowly managing to not fall over, "Zack!"

Aerith grabbed her husband's hand, gently pulling him back, "Now now, no smothering the birthday boy."

"You're acting like I'm turning sixteen." Reno commented.

Aerith rolled her eyes, "I'm the older one, I can act however I want."

"So, were you surprised? I bet you were! You know it was all Namine's idea? I knew I liked her!" Zack exclaimed.

Namine grinned, blushing a little.

"Of course I was surprised." Reno rolled his eyes, "I was planning on working the rest of my birthday away."

"You should've thought something was up the minute I didn't change your schedule so you weren't working on your birthday." Tifa said as she walked over, "Despite your protests, I do that every year."

"Hey, Reno." Riku grinned, leading Sora over and slapping him on the back. "Happy birthday and all that."

Namine walked back around the bar, taking Reno's hand and smiling at Aerith and Tifa. "I couldn't have done it without your help!"

Tifa grinned, "You kidding me, I've been trying to get Reno to actually celebrate his birthday for years now."

Reno rolled his eyes, but didn't retort.

"Well, I didn't really do anything besides take his choice out of it." Namine grinned.

Riku laughed, squeezing Sora closer. "Okay, if you two are going to flirt, we'll be by the food..."

Sora laughed.

Reno rolled his eyes again, but took his arm from Namine's so he could put it over her shoulders and squeeze her.

Riku rolled his eyes, smiling before heading to grab some food with Sora.

Namine smiled up at Reno. "So, what do you want to do? It's your party after all! See who's here or get some food or just wander?"

"You should go see your old friends that I tracked down to invite." Aerith said, giving her brother a look, "And meet Paine's boyfriend."

"Wait... Paine's dating?" he blinked.

"Go." Aerith pointed.

Reno grinned sheepishly, "Right. Wanna meet my old friends?" he glanced down at Namine.

"Sure! Unless you'd rather some catching-up time with them first. Whatever you want, Reno." Namine smiled.

"Nah, I want you to meet them." Reno smiled back, "See you guys later." he waved to his family and led Namine back out to the main restaurant area.

"When Aerith said she had a few people in mind to invite, I didn't realize how many that would turn out to be! It seems you're quite the popular guy." Namine teased.

Reno laughed, "Not really. Just haven't seen most of these people since high school." he made his way through the crowd towards three people lounging near the side of the restaurant and waved as he approached.

"There's the birthday boy!" One of them, the girl, hopped up, throwing her arms around him, but not dislodging Namine, "How have you _been_?"

Reno laughed, "Hey, Paine. I've been good. Hey Gippal." he nodded to the blonde sitting next to the guy that Paine had leapt away from when Reno had approached. Gippal grinned back.

As Paine pulled back, Reno spoke up, "Paine, Gippal, this is my girlfriend, Namine. Nam, this is Paine and Gippal, two friends of mine from high school."

"Hi! It's nice to meet you!" Namine smiled, offering a small wave.

"Nice to meet you too." Paine smiled.

"You nabbed yourself a cutie." Gippal commented.

"Get your own girlfriend, Gippal." Reno rolled his eyes, pulling Namine closer.

Namine laughed, blushing a little and letting Reno hold her close.

Reno smiled. "So, gonna introduce me to quiet-boy over there, Paine?"

Paine jumped, turning back, "Oh, right! Sorry, Baralai, I got totally caught up in the fact that I haven't seen Reno in like six years."

Baralai chuckled, "That's alright."

"Reno, Baralai. Baralai, Reno." she gestured between the two of them. "Baralai and I have been dating for about seven months now."

"Wow." Reno said, "Have to admit I didn't think you'd ever settle down." he said, shrugging.

Paine gave him a look, "Look who's talking."

Gippal laughed.

"You know what, high school years aside, I am happy for you." Reno chuckled, "And I'm sure Gippal's already warned you, but if you mess with her, I'll personally hunt you down, even if I _don__'__t_ live in town anymore."

Baralai chuckled, "No worries there, I promise."

"Good." Reno said, not wanting to spoil his birthday by threatening the boyfriends of people that he hadn't seen in six years.

"How long have you and Reno been dating?" Gippal asked the blonde, trying to make conversation since Paine, Reno, and Baralai had gone off on a tangent.

"One month." Namine smiled.

"Really?" Gippal seemed vaguely surprised, but he pushed it off quickly, "Congrats, then." he smiled.

"Thank you!" Namine returned his smile.

Before she could say anything else, she was yanked from Reno's side and into Zack's arms. "Aerith won't dance with me so I'm stealing Namine!" Zack grinned, tugging Namine to the makeshift dance area just as Tifa started up some music.

Reno blinked as his best friend stole his girlfriend, before sending an apologetic smile at Paine and Gippal and chasing after him, shouting, "Hey, no stealing my girlfriend on _my_ birthday! What kind of best friend ARE you?"

"The best kind, you just said that!" Zack grinned, spinning Namine around and dipping her before putting one hand on her hips and the other holding her hand. "Let's show him what you've got!"

"Oh, but..." Namine glanced at Reno.

Zack winked at her. "We'll knock his socks off!" He whirled her again before starting to dance her around the floor.

Reno huffed before spotting Aerith putting some more food out and chatting with Tifa. Walking over, he grabbed his sister's arm, "Sorry Tifa, I need to borrow my sister." he said with a smile, before snatching his sister and pulling her out onto the dance floor.

"Wait, Reno, what are you doing?" Aerith protested, blinking, "I already told Zack I couldn't dance right now."

"Aww, come on, Ri." Reno said, "He stole Namine, and now I'm by myself."

Aerith glanced over at Zack and Namine and then sighed, "One dance, and only because it's your birthday."

Zack laughed when Reno dragged Aerith out. "Come on, Namine, we've gotta show them up!"

Namine couldn't help but laugh as Zack picked up the pace and dipped her again.

As the song finally slowed to a stop, Reno laughed, "Thanks, Ri."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Tell Zack I said to give Namine back, will you?" she asked, before laughing and heading back to where Tifa was waiting as Reno walked towards his best friend and girlfriend.

Zack grinned. "You're a brilliant dancer! Thanks, Namine. Looks like prince charming is here for you, though." He laughed, kissing her cheek as Reno approached.

"That was fun." Namine smiled.

"Your wife has told me to tell you to give my girlfriend back." Reno said, crossing his arms (but not really mad).

"She's all yours, then." Zack said, letting go of Namine. "She's a great dancer, though. Definitely something special." He winked. "I'd better go find Aerith."

Namine laughed, taking Reno's hand. "Good luck."

"Thanks!" Zack bounced away.

Reno squeezed Namine's hand and glanced down at her, "Mind if I steal you for a bit?"

"You already have." Namine smiled.

"I mean somewhere more private." he chuckled, starting to walk towards the entrance to the back office.

"But aren't you having fun at your party?" Namine asked, worried maybe he hadn't liked it after all.

"Of course." Reno laughed, "But I didn't get to see you yesterday, so I wanted to make up for not seeing you on our one-month." he chuckled, "Besides, I don't get some alone time with my girlfriend on my birthday?" he joked.

Namine smiled. "You don't have to make up for anything - the flowers were beautiful! But of course you can have whatever you want on your birthday!" she laughed as he closed the door behind them.

Reno laughed, pushing her back so she was against the wall and leaning in, kissing her.

Namine sighed, reaching up to grab onto his shoulders, letting her eyes slip shut.

Reno pulled back, smiling at her, "Thanks for planning all this, Namine."

The blonde blinked up at him. "Mhmm." She hummed, tugging his shoulders to get him to kiss her again.

Reno smirked, leaning back down and kissing her again.

XXXX

"So, where'd Reno vanish to?" Aerith asked, glancing around, "We eventually need to light these candles, because judging by the looks on Riku and Sora's faces, this cake is going to be delicious."

Zack snickered. "I'm pretty sure Reno is thanking Namine for throwing this party, if you get what I mean."

Aerith gave him a look, "You know how we've talked about the mental images you give me? That one was a bad one."

Zack laughed. "Sorry, baby." He pulled her close for a quick kiss, letting his hand rest on her stomach for a second.

Aerith smiled up at him, but the cute moment was interrupted by Tifa running past chasing Gippal, who was holding something that Aerith couldn't quite make out, but assumed meant something to Tifa for her to chase him to get it back. She laughed, leaning into her husband, "Well, at least people are having fun, even if the guest of honor escaped to make out with his girlfriend."

"Oh, yeah. Tons of fun. Looks like your other brother's close to finding his own making-out room." Zack pointed out, directing Aerith's attention to Riku and Sora, who were in their own little world off to the side.

Aerith laughed, "Well, good for him." she smiled, "He deserves it."

"Definitely. You know," Zack grinned at Aerith, "I think they're a cute couple, too."

Aerith grinned back at him, "I know, right?" she giggled.

"Who's a cute couple?" Reno asked, walking up behind them, holding Namine's hand.

"Riku and Sora, of course!" Zack chirped, grinning at Namine. "You okay?"

She nodded, a little flushed. "I'm fine."

Reno laughed.

Aerith smiled, "Alright, time for cake, then, 'cause I swear when those two detach themselves from each other, they keep eyeing this thing like it's going to stand up and walk out."

"Yes, let's light the candles!" Namine said, smiling.

"Everybody! We're doing cake now! So get over here and get ready to sing!" Zack yelled, laughing and shoving an amused Reno in front of the cake.

Riku dragged Sora over and led the singing, causing Namine to laugh. Reno blew out the candles with a grin and after everyone yelled their congratulations, they scattered once more with pieces of cake.

"This is so good!" Zack exclaimed.

"Roxas is an excellent baker." Namine nodded, loving the cake as well. "You like it, Reno?"

"Of course I do." Reno laughed, "Thanks for setting this up... whoever convinced Roxas to bake me a cake."

Namine smiled. "It was no problem, he was happy to do it."

"Yeah. Even though he kept kicking Sora and me out of the kitchen while he cooked it. I've been staring at this cake for too damn long!" Riku said, taking a huge bite.

"He was possibly kicking us out because we were about to steal the half-finished cake and eat it ourselves." Sora commented, even as he continued to eat his piece of cake, "I believe it was you that said 'Screw Reno, he can find his own cake'?"

Riku grinned and stuffed more cake into his mouth. "Yup. Roxas's cooking is too damn good to wait for. But I did it. Happy birthday!"

Zack laughed. "Ah, such brotherly love! C'mon, Aerith, let's dance off this cake!"

Aerith laughed, "Fine, fine, but only because I danced with Reno earlier and now I owe you a dance."

"That's right! Let's go!" Zack said, dragging her away.

"Reno... when you're done, I want to give you something." Namine smiled at him.

"And that's our cue to leave." Riku laughed, shaking his head, walking away with Sora.

Reno glanced over at Namine and finished his slice of cake before smiling at her.

Namine took his hand, leading him to the side where several gifts were piled onto a table, pulling one from the stack. "Happy birthday."

"You didn't have to get me something, Nam." Reno chuckled, "Especially since you planned all this."

Namine shook her head, smiling. "It's your birthday! Open it, please?"

Reno chuckled, but nodded, opening the present.

"There's not many pictures on it right now - just what I had from Disneyplace - but I thought you could add more as we take them." Namine said, explaining the digital picture frame in his hands.

"Wow." Reno said, looking up from the picture frame to the blonde, "This is great. Thank you." he said, leaning in to give her a kiss.

Namine smiled, eagerly kissing him back, managing to say once he pulled back, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Reno smiled, leaning in and kissing her again.

XXXX

Well, who can guess how many of these people were me? :D

(The answer is too many. Also, I don't even know.)

I'm gonna go back to being braindead now. Thanks for reading!

Posting note: This is Jasmine. That, up there, is Cami. And the real answer to her question? She wrote 7 of the 10 characters in this chapter.


	32. What's A Quad Date?

Hi everyone! Jasmine here. Sorry I forgot to post! I had school event Saturday and Sunday I was at a concert... *shifty eyes* Sorry!

Hope you enjoy!

We don't own FF/KH.

XXXX

"So, why is it that everyone in this town goes crazy for Halloween, but Thanksgiving passes by without even a word?" Sora asked Riku as he drove down the street towards the college. Axel and Roxas were sitting in the backseat, but Sora was trying as hard as possible not to listen to them-Roxas was _definitely_ trying to get back at him for the incident with the kissing after his kidnapping.

"Because Halloween is more fun?" Riku guessed. "I don't know and for the love of god! Will you guys stop already?"

Roxas snickered, but said innocently, "Stop what?"

"If you're going to be like that all night, we aren't staying with you. This is supposed to be fun!" Riku said.

Roxas sighed. "I _am_ having fun. Aren't you having fun, being with Sora?"

"We aren't being obnoxious like you two!" Riku protested.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Please. All you have to do is look at each other and the birds start singing and a rainbow appears. Saps."

"I'm perfectly happy to pull this car over, lock you two in with child safety lock, and then make out with Riku in the front." Sora shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road.

Roxas shuddered, moving back into his own seat but taking Axel's hand. "No thanks, I'll be good."

Riku laughed.

Axel chuckled, squeezing Roxas's hand as Sora smirked, victorious.

"So what are we doing, exactly?" Riku asked.

"If you'd paid attention instead of staring at my brother and picturing him naked, you'd know we're going to Pence's basketball game." Roxas muttered.

"What?" Riku asked.

"We're going to my friend's basketball game." Roxas smiled sweetly.

Axel laughed, squeezing Roxas's hand again, but decided that staying silent was the best option in this situation.

"Right." Riku said.

Sora parked the car near the gym and the four got out, Riku immediately reaching for Sora's hand.

Sora grabbed Riku's hand even as he locked his car door and they headed towards the gymnasium.

Roxas and Axel trailed behind them. "So when's the last time anyone's been to a game?" The blonde asked.

Sora glanced at Riku, "Err... before Riku graduated." he said, "I don't even remember. I think you dragged me to the last game I went to." he told his brother, thinking.

Axel shrugged, "That one time the volleyball team asked Larx to sub in for one of their injured members." he grinned, "Epic. Absolutely epic."

Roxas laughed. "Larxene? Why would they ask her?"

Axel laughed, "The other team had this really intimidating member on it and they didn't think anyone could _out_-intimidate Larx. They were right."

"I bet that was some game." Riku commented.

"Oh yeah!" Roxas added, before looking at Sora. "Yeah, I think I dragged you to Hayner's last game last year, when they were in the semi-finals."

"That sounds right." Sora nodded.

They entered the gym and Roxas glanced at Axel. "We'll get seats, you guys get food?"

"Sure." Riku shrugged, looking at Sora to make sure he was okay with that.

Sora nodded, "Sure, sounds good."

Axel smiled, and then led Roxas up into the stands to find seats.

Roxas followed him glancing around when he heard someone yelling his name, turning to see Kairi waving at him. Grabbing Axel, the pair headed over to Kairi and Namine, and their boyfriends, presumably.

"Hey, Kairi, Namine! You guys came to the game to? Sora and Riku are getting food." Roxas grinned.

Kairi grinned, "Yep! Needed to think of something to do for a double date that wasn't dinner this time." she shrugged, "Sora and Riku are here too?"

"Yeah, grabbing food. Xigbar, right?" Roxas said, grinning at him.

"Yup. How ya doing, Roxas?" Xigbar asked.

Roxas nodded. "Good. This is my boyfriend Axel."

"Cloud's roommate, right?" Xigbar asked, offering his hand.

"Yep." Axel said, shaking Xigbar's hand, "Hello, coworker who mostly handles paperwork."

Xigbar chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You're a lucky bastard to have snagged this one." He gestured at Roxas with a grin, slipping his arm over Kairi's shoulder's to pull her close.

"Trust me, I know." Axel grinned, squeezing Roxas's hand.

Kairi leaned into Xigbar, "So, do you guys know Reno?"

"Only as Namine's boyfriend. Happy birthday, by the way. Like the cake?" Roxas asked, grinning at the redhead holding Namine.

"_Definitely._" Reno grinned, "Thanks so much." he said, "Was amazing." he squeezed Namine, "So, Roxas and Axel, right? Didn't you try and fire my brother at some point?" he asked the redhead.

"Only if your brother has silver hair and never comes to work." Axel shrugged.

"Hey, I sometimes go to work." Riku said from behind him. "Wow, everyone's here, huh?"

Namine laughed. "Apparently."

"Only when you get something besides a paycheck out of it." Reno laughed, "Hey." he nodded at Riku and Sora.

"So, what, are we on some weird quad date now?" Kairi asked, laughing as her best friend sat down, pulling his silver haired boyfriend with him.

"Seems that way." Sora shrugged, "Come to think of it, why is it that every time me, Riku, Axel, and Roxas are in the same place, you're there too?"

"Luck?" Kairi grinned.

"Hanging out with all the guys, huh, Red?" Xigbar teased.

"Bad luck, maybe." Roxas muttered, at which Riku smiled.

"See if I make you a costume next time." Kairi stuck her tongue out at Roxas even as she leaned into Xigbar a little more. Pausing, she whispered something to him.

"What costume?" Riku asked.

"Roxas's Halloween costume, of course. Kairi helped him." Namine explained.

"Oh. What did you end up being?" Riku asked.

Roxas blushed. "A bunny."

Axel grinned but didn't elaborate, putting his arm over Roxas's shoulders.

"Really? You didn't tell me you dressed up." Sora commented, "Actually, you didn't tell me much, you just sort of ran out the door like your costume was on fire and the only source of water was in Axel's car."

"I don't actually have a car." Axel shrugged, "I steal my roommate's."

"I'm sure Cloud could find you a decent ride. What's the hold-up?" Xigbar asked.

"I didn't run." Roxas muttered. "I just... walked really fast."

Axel shrugged, "Dunno. I never asked, I guess. Larx and I just end up sharing hers, and it's only a problem when I leave it in the Box Depot parking lot so that Riku's car can conveniently break down and both of us will need a ride back." he said.

Sora thought for a moment, and then glanced over at Riku. "Really? _Really?_"

Riku smiled sheepishly. "Well, yeah. But that's because Axel wanted help getting with Roxas!"

Roxas looked at his boyfriend. "Really? _Really?_"

"Damn, definitely tell you guys are related." Xigbar laughed and Namine nodded, amused.

"Yeah, well, what can I say, you're adorable." he shrugged, grinning at Roxas.

Kairi laughed, "But if only you could hear Sora's side of the phone conversation. It was a good thing I _was_ there for that one."

Sora glared at her, "To hold the phone, you mean?"

"Don't want you killing yourself." she shrugged.

Roxas couldn't hold his glare and smiled, quickly kissing Axel.

"So why are you four here? Were you planning a double date as well?" Namine asked.

Riku nodded. "Yeah, we were. Didn't expect to end up being on a massive group date including my brother, though."

"Well, we were here first." Reno shrugged, "M'two years older than you for awhile, so that means you really have to listen to me."

"Nah, that just makes you a crazy old person that I ignore." Riku grinned.

Reno swatted at his brother, purposely missing, and turned to Sora, "Be careful with him. He's likely to lament his immaturity by drinking himself into a deep hole soon." He had no evidence with which to back up his statement (and Sora knew this well).

Riku rolled his eyes. "When have I ever done something like that? Sora, my brother is delusional. Ignore him, it's not his birthday anymore anyway."

Namine laughed. "C'mon, you two. Stop fighting, it's showing how much you love one another."

Riku paled, hugging Sora close. "Stop using your psych stuff on us."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "It's obvious - even I see it."

Kairi laughed, "Why is it that your household is the only one here that frequents attempted murder?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Aw, come on, Sass - you've met my roommates, right? Black and blue are the colors of caring at our place." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi laughed, "Oh, no, I completely understand that." she said, grinning at him. "Doesn't make it any less strange."

"I dunno, attempted murder happens at my place too." Axel shrugged.

"How often?" Kairi asked him.

He shrugged again, "Occasionally? Sometimes by accident."

"Nah, Xigbar's roommates beat you." Kairi shrugged.

"You know Leon and Seifer, they are always going at it." Xigbar chuckled.

Before Axel could comment on the name "Seifer" and how it seemed to be coming up in conversation a _lot_ lately, Kairi piped in, "Yeah, with _knives_."

Deciding that exploding would be a bad idea, Axel glanced over at Roxas, "Seifer? _Again?_"

"Right. Xigbar and Seifer are roommates. I'm pretty sure Leon lives there, too." Roxas said.

"Yup, it's us three amigos." Xigbar said sarcastically.

Roxas leaned up to whisper in Axel's ear, "Don't freak, okay?" He nipped his boyfriend's earlobe, squeezing his hand.

Axel took a deep (albeit shaky) breath, "I'm fine. As long as he doesn't show up here I'm fine." he muttered back.

"Good." Roxas said, kissing his cheek.

"Sora, why is it that Roxas can kiss Axel around you but I can't kiss you around Roxas?" Riku asked.

Sora frowned, "No idea. Maybe he should explain it." He glanced over at his brother, "Backseat. Child safety lock. I _will_ do it."

Roxas glared at him, squeezing Axel's hand. "Fiiine."

Namine giggled, leaning into Reno. "Isn't this fun?" She murmured.

Reno laughed, looking down at her, "Definitely." he murmured back, the position of his head meaning he didn't have to speak very loudly for her to hear him, "Thanks for inviting me along."

"Of course. It wouldn't be fun without you." Namine smiled.

Reno smiled back at her.

"All right, we could've chatted at a restaurant. Let's watch the game!" Xigbar said.

Roxas grinned, yelling, "Go Pence!".

Riku pulled Sora closer, watching the game and snacking on one of the pretzels they'd gotten. "Food?"

"Yeah, pass it out!" Roxas said, taking some and handing out the rest.

Kairi, never one to pass up free food, grabbed some as it passed her and leaned into Xigbar with a grin. "So, you like basketball?" she asked.

"Sure." Xigbar shrugged. "I like sports in general. Not that complicated. How about you, Red?"

Kairi shrugged, "Took karate for years." she said, "Beyond that, like to watch 'em, but can't actually play 'em."

"Karate, huh?" Xigbar said, eyeing her. "Sass, I'd love to see your skills sometime."

Kairi batted her eyes at him jokingly, "Oh would you?"

"Damn straight." Xigbar grinned, kissing her.

Kairi grinned into the kiss before leaning in.

"Hey, wait! How come the girls are allowed to kiss their boyfriends and I can't kiss mine?" Axel protested.

"Because the siblings here don't appreciate it." Riku said.

Namine laughed. "But I'm dating your brother!"

"Don't remind me." Riku groaned in mock horror.

Reno laughed, "Does that mean I _can_ kiss Namine while we're here?" he asked, tilting his girlfriend's head and kissing her before anyone could answer.

"Reno! C'mon, stop it!" Riku protested, covering his eyes, begging Sora, "Tell me when it's over!"

Reno smirked, pulling back from Namine, "Hm. Interesting reaction. Will keep this in mind when he's being himself."

"AHA!" Kairi shouted, "He _did_ kiss you that day, didn't he?" she asked her sister, practically climbing on top of Xigbar to get a good view of her face and make sure she wasn't going to lie to her.

Namine blushed, still staring up at Reno. "Wh-what?"  
"Thank god." Riku muttered when Sora tapped him, glaring at his brother.

Reno laughed, and Kairi continued to stare at Namine, expecting an answer.

Xigbar shifted a little, readjusting his grip on Kairi so that they wouldn't topple over but managing to not grab her ass in public.

"Wellllllllll, did my calling Reno and forcing him to come over work?" Kairi interrogated her sister, only mildly aware of the fact that she was on top of Xigbar now.

Namine blinked, finally looking at Kairi. "I'm sorry, what are you asking?"

Kairi laughed, finally realizing what had happened, and decided to interrogate her sister about it later. Shaking her head, she smirked, "Never mind, never mind. You just answered my question."

Reno rolled his eyes, "Fair warning, Riku." he said, before kissing Namine again.

A smirking Kairi slid down so she was sitting more comfortably on Xigbar's lap, but didn't move off of it.

Xigbar wrapped his arms around her. "Okay, Red?"

"Yep." Kairi grinned at him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaning back against his chest.

"We are all a bunch of saps." Roxas declared, scooting closer to Axel.

Riku chuckled weakly. "Yeah." He buried his face in Sora's shoulder, mumbling, "Make them stop."

Sora patted his back, trying not to look at the two girls he'd grown up with and their boyfriends.

"All right. That's it. No more kissing until the game's over." Roxas declared.

Xigbar chuckled. "I think we can manage that, right, Sass?"

"Thank god." Riku muttered.

Reno pulled back from Namine, rolling his eyes, "Fiiine."

Roxas nodded. "Good."

XXXX

Everyone filed out of the gym, laughing and talking about the game.

"Ah, man, that last shot! Wow!" Xigbar grinned.

"It was exciting!" Namine agreed.

Riku laughed. "Well, Sora's car is parked over here, so I guess we'll see you guys later."

A chorus of goodbyes and waves ensued as Kairi, Xigbar, Reno, and Namine went one way and Sora, Riku, Axel, and Roxas the other.

"That was fun." Roxas said, squeezing Axel's hand as they approached the car.

Axel grinned at him, "It was."

"Yeah. It's kinda cold, now, though. I didn't realize the game went so long." Riku said as he opened the car door.

Roxas tugged Axel's hand, stopping him from opening the backdoor. "Hey, do you want to walk home with me instead?"

Axel glanced at him, "Sure." he smiled.

Sora looked over at the two of them, "You sure? It's freezing."

Roxas nodded. "I'm sure. It's not a really long walk, anyway."

Sora shrugged, "Alright. See you later, then." he climbed into the driver's seat and a minute later, the car was pulling out of the parking lot.

Axel put his arm around Roxas's shoulders, "Warmer now?" he asked with a small smirk.

Roxas grinned. "Of course." They started walking. "It really is gorgeous out, if you can deal with the cold."

Axel chuckled, "Yeah. Can't believe it's almost December already."

"Yeah. The semester's almost over, and then it's a month of no classes and Christmas and New Years." Roxas smiled up at Axel, shifting closer.

Axel smiled back at him, "Yeah. Then you'll have tons of free time and I'll get to spend all my not-work time with you."

"If you don't get sick of me." Roxas teased.

"I could never get sick of you." Axel insisted, leaning down and giving him a kiss.

Roxas smiled, moving to stand in front of Axel without breaking the kiss, hands holding the redhead's shoulders. Pulling back, his smile widened. "I love you."

Axel smiled, "I love you too."

Roxas kissed him again, but jerked back when something cold and wet hit his cheek. "What?" He glanced up before laughing, "Axel! It's snowing!"

Axel looked up, and sure enough, white flakes of snow were starting to fall, steadily increasing with every passing minute. He grinned at Roxas, "No wonder it's so cold out." he chuckled.

Roxas grinned, face to the sky. "It's the first snow!"

Axel smiled, watching his boyfriend (and _not_ the snow).

Roxas grabbed Axel's hands, forcing them to dance in a circle, laughing. Breathless, he looked up at Axel, smiling as he reached up to wipe some flakes from his hair. "You're getting covered in it."

"Well, so are you, it just shows in my hair better." Axel chuckled, shaking his head in an attempt to dislodge some of the white that was covering his usual red.

Roxas laughed, even as his fingertips burned with cold from the snow. He spun in a slow circle. "C'mon, Axel. It's the _first_ snow. It's important!"

Axel laughed, grinning at Roxas and wrapping his arms around him from behind so the blonde was against his chest, "You're adorable."

Roxas tilted his head back so he could stare upside-down into Axel's eyes. "So are you, all covered in white." He chuckled, hands resting on Axel's around his waist.

Axel smiled at him, "What time are your classes tomorrow?"

Roxas grinned. "Why?"

"I think I'm gonna steal you for the night." he smirked.

Roxas's grin widened. "My one class tomorrow canceled and the other is an optional review session."

"Perfect." Axel grinned, giving Roxas a kiss, "We'll stop by your place to grab you some clothes and I'll call one of my roommates to pick us up." Pausing, he frowned, "Xigbar's right, I need a car." he groaned. "I actually just said 'I'll call one of my roommates to pick us up.'"

Roxas turned in Axel's arms and smirked. "Why would I need clothes?"

Axel laughed, leaning in and kissing Roxas again, "Well, I figured you wouldn't want to parade around my place completely naked if the others were there." he said in between kisses, "Not that I'd mind in the slightest."

"Are you saying you wouldn't let me borrow some of your clothes? Can't you picture me wearing one of your shirts - and only that shirt?" Roxas teased with a smile.

Axel leaned forward, burying his head in Roxas's shoulder, "You're killing me, you know that?" he asked, laughing.

Roxas patted his back in fake sympathy. "Sorry, Axel. Would you rather I kept my thoughts to myself and just... surprised you later?"

"No, you're more than welcome to continue talking." Axel said, "But I just can't promise not having my way with you right here in whoever-the-hell's front yard this is."

Roxas glanced around, grin widening. "Kairi and Namine's."

Axel laughed, "Go figure."

"C'mon, my house is only a few more down the street." Roxas said, taking Axel's hand even though it was freezing just like his. "The snow's dying out anyway."

Axel chuckled, "Alright." he said, squeezing Roxas's hand as they continued down the street.

XXXX

Awww, they're so cute!

Well, we gave you a super sweet fluff chapter... You know what that means... ;)

Review?


	33. Magic Monday

It was the next week, and the snow that had fallen earlier in the week had all melted, making way for new snow that had managed to cancel all classes on Monday-not that it mattered anyway, Kairi didn't have Monday classes, Xigbar had the day off of work, and she was determined to spend the majority of the day with him.

"So you see a store yet that you wanna check out or you gonna make me walk around for hours before deciding?" Xigbar teased.

Kairi stuck her tongue out at him, "You complaining?" she laughed. "I actually did see something I wanted to check out, but it's for Christmas, so you can't come with me. Mind if I dash away for a minute?" she asked.

"Nah, but I have to maintain the appearance of a guy who was dragged shopping by his girlfriend, right?" Xigbar winked. "Go ahead and get what you want, Red. I'll be waiting in here where it's warm." He nodded towards one of the other stores.

"Sounds good." Kairi grinned, leaning up to give him a kiss, "Be right back."

Xigbar grinned, grabbing her hand to pull her back and kissing her again. "You got it, Sass."

Kairi smiled at him, before pulling back and heading down the street towards the store she'd seen.

Xigbar watched her go, shaking his head and heading inside to wait.

The store was less than a block down the street, small and quaint, and Kairi hoped that what she'd seen in the window wasn't as expensive as it looked. Even if it was, she'd just sucker some money out of her ever-absent dad, she supposed.

Her thoughts were cut off by a call of her name from behind her.

She immediately stiffened, the thought of the store and what she wanted to buy Xigbar flying away. No. No, no, no-

"What are you doing out here?" the voice asked, approaching her even as Kairi didn't turn, "I haven't seen you in years and I find you here of all places?"

"What do you want?" Kairi was surprised at how steady her voice sounded-she didn't feel steady at all. She could feel everything she'd built up over the past three years crumbling down with every word he spoke.

"What, I can't catch up with an old friend?"

His voice was still as... as... infuriating as it had always been, and Kairi clenched her hand around her purse, "Fuck off, Kadaj." she said as she turned to face him finally. He had that same smirk on his face, that same cocky smirk as ever.

"And if I don't want to?" he asked, smirk steady.

Kairi pushed him aside and took off down the street, not quite running, but getting away as quickly as she could.

She could hear his footsteps as he followed her, and spoke, "I said fuck off. Get the hell away from me and leave me _alone_."

"That's no way to talk to your dear old friend." he laughed.

"You are _not_ my friend." she said simply, before opening the door to the store that Xigbar was in and escaping inside, hoping, praying, that he wouldn't cause a scene in a store. She was lucky. As she turned to look over her shoulder, she saw him still outside, not following her. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she glanced around, trying to find Xigbar.

Xigbar glanced at the door when he heard it open and frowned as a panicked Kairi rushed in. Quickly going to her, he grabbed her by the arms, studying her face. "Whoa, what the hell happened?"

Kairi shook her head, knowing she was shaking lightly but trying her hardest not to break in the middle of a store. Glancing back at the door, she found Kadaj gone.

"Red? Kairi. Tell me what happened. Are you okay?" Xigbar demanded.

Kairi slowly nodded, "Yes. No. I..." she hesitated, not sure what to say. She didn't want Xigbar seeing her like this-she didn't want _anyone_ seeing her like this anymore, actually, but _definitely_ not Xigbar.

Noticing the stares they were getting, Xigbar coaxed her out of the store, gently cupping her face to make her look at him. "Scaring me, Sass. Gotta talk to me, okay?"

Kairi leaned into him, knowing she was shaking and knowing she needed to stop but not knowing how.

Xigbar held her and thought frantically. "Okay. We're leaving and I'm taking you home. Okay? Come on, let's get to the car."

Kairi didn't let go of him, and nodded.

"Right. Okay." Xigbar muttered, guiding Kairi to the car. It was a little awkward, but he got her there and managed to coax her inside, dashing around the other side and hopping in, grabbing her hand. "Whatever the hell's wrong, it's gonna be okay, all right? Please say something, Red." Xigbar said as he started the car.

"I'm sorry," Kairi whispered, pulling her knees up to her chest and breaking into sobs.

"Fuck." Xigbar cursed. "Kairi, what the hell happened? Why are you sorry? Please, Red, please stop crying." Xigbar sped faster, blowing through a stop sign as he raced to her house, hoping that Namine was home.

Slamming on the brakes, he threw the car into park in front of her house, dashing around and opening the passenger's side door, crouching down and rubbing Kairi's face with his hand. "Kairi? Please, you're home, okay? Let's go inside at least. Come on now."

Kairi sniffled, but nodded, carefully lowering her feet so she could get out of the car.

"Okay, come on. That's it, you're fine, you're home." Xigbar continue to babble as he led Kairi up to her house and inside, screaming "NAMINE!" as he sat her down in the living room.

The blonde rushed downstairs. "Xigbar? What happened?"

"It's Kairi - I don't know! One minute we were fine and shopping and then she just came back and broke down and - "

"Where is she?" Namine asked, cutting him off.

"Living room." Xigbar said, following her in.

Namine rushed to Kairi's side, hugging her close. "Kairi? What happened?"

The redhead didn't have an answer for her either, leaning into her sister but not bursting into tears again.

Namine frowned, rubbing soothing circles on her sister's back. "The only other time I've seen you so quiet was when... Xigbar, go up to my room and grab my cell phone, will you? It's on my desk."

Xigbar hesitated before nodding and running up the stairs, cursing as he almost walked into the doorframe of the blonde's room, barely registering it as he grabbed the phone and ran back downstairs, handing it to Namine.

Namine quickly dialed a number. "Sora? Are you home? Thank god, I need you to come over right now. It's Kairi. Thanks." She hung up.

"Meet Sora outside and tell him what you know?" She asked Xigbar.

"I..." Xigbar shook his head.

"She'll be fine, I promise." Namine tried to smile.

Xigbar sighed, nodding and heading outside to meet a panicked looking Sora, followed by Riku.

Spotting Xigbar, Sora ran over, "Xigbar? What the hell happened? Where are Kairi and Namine?"

"Inside but Namine told me to talk to you first. Fuck." Xigbar said, rubbing his face.

"What's going on?" Riku asked.

"We were shopping - Kairi and I - and she said she saw something she wanted to get for Christmas and I couldn't go with her, that she'd be right back. I was waiting for her when she burst into the store, basically hyperventilating and shaking and she wouldn't talk to me. I got her to the car and she said she was sorry and just started crying. God, I got here as fast as I could and Namine took one look at her and called you. What the fuck happened?"

Sora had no _idea_ what had happened for almost a full second before everything clicked into place. The timing, the location... "Fuck!" he shouted, not explaining and running past Xigbar into the house.

Riku pushed past Xigbar, following him. Xigbar cursed again, going back in the house and into the living room, where Sora was now on the other side of Kairi and Riku was hovering nearby.

"Kairi? Namine? Sora, Riku, will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Xigbar demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Sora didn't answer him, instead forcing Kairi to look at him, "Kairi, did he do _anything_? I need you to talk to me for just a minute, Kai."

Kairi slowly shook her head, shaking, and feeling tears coming back, and _fuck_ would she ever stop shaking and crying?

Sora dropped his hand, letting her bury herself in her sister's chest and took a deep breath.

Riku cursed, moving to put a hand on Sora's shoulder even as Namine held Kairi closer.

"He? Who?" Xigbar asked. "Someone did something? What the fuck happened?"

Sora glanced at Namine to make sure she was okay so that he could take Xigbar into a different room and explain.

Xigbar clenched his jaw as he followed the brunette, Riku taking his place on the couch, glaring as he waited for an answer as to why his girlfriend was suddenly bawling her eyes out and mute.

Sora took a deep breath, "Fuck, I haven't seen her like that in three years." he said, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling, "Look, Kairi's not as... mentally stable as she makes herself out to be." Gesturing towards the living room, he added, "As you can see."

"I don't care. What happened _today_? We were apart for ten minutes, maybe." Xigbar said.

"I can't tell you exactly what happened, because I don't know and it doesn't look she's going to tell me, but I'd be willing to guess she ran into her ex." Sora said, "Like I said, I haven't seen her like that in three years-since she broke up with him. He was..." he paused, trying to think of the best way to describe Kadaj and Kairi's relationship and coming up completely blank. "She puts up a strong front, but she was with Kadaj for _four__years_, and he slowly broke through every mental defense she had and... like psychologically controlled her, essentially. It took until he went away for school for her to realize it, and that's when she broke up with him. But it took her a long time to rebuild herself, and it looks like seeing him just basically fucked up all of that progress."

Xigbar stared at him. "She ran into her ex and was reduced to _this_?"

"You said she was only gone for ten minutes, and she said he didn't do anything." Sora said, "Trust me, if he'd done anything to her, this would look like she was in _good_ shape in comparison."

Xigbar's face hardened. "What's he look like and where does he live?"

"_No_, Xigbar." Sora said, "You are _not_ going to go after him-that'll just make things worse. Kairi didn't push you away, which means she's still recognizing that you're safe, even in the shape she's in. She needs you to stay here until she's calmed down."

Xigbar cursed, long and loud, before nodding. "Fine." He snapped. "But this conversation isn't over." He strode back into the living room, unceremoniously shoving Riku off the couch and gently taking Kairi from Namine's arms. "Kairi?" He murmured, tucking her closer to him on his lap. "Everything will be okay, now."

Riku glared at him from the floor, standing just as Sora walked back in.

Kairi leaned into Xigbar, clutching at him but not crying. Sora looked over at Namine and Riku, "She say anything?"

Namine shook her head, wearily watching Kairi.

"Nothing." Riku muttered, hugging Sora.

Xigbar tipped Kairi's face up to his, forcing a smile. "C'mon, Red. It's not like you to be on my lap and not be using it to your advantage to drive me crazy." Gently, softly, he kissed her, barely lingering over her lips, rubbing her cheek with his thumb as he stared into her eyes.

Sora took Riku's hand and gestured Namine out of the room.

Kairi was there-she knew she was there, she knew Xigbar was kissing her, she knew she was sitting on his lap-but she also wasn't. She had overloaded, the walls in her brain had collapsed and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to turn back time and have never gone shopping in the first place. She buried her head in Xigbar's shoulder so that she didn't have to look in his eyes and feel guilty but not be able to _do_anything about it any more.

Namine sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table. "It was Kadaj?"

Riku pulled Sora into a chair. "Fuck." He muttered.

"Yeah." Sora sighed, "From what I can tell, it took less than ten minutes for her to be reduced to _that_."

"He must be on break for the holidays." Namine murmured, closing her eyes briefly.

"What're we going to do?" Riku asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Nam, you're the psych major, so tell me if this sounds right." Sora said, glancing at Namine, "He didn't do anything, so right now she's just stuck with the memories, right?"

"Yes, but those memories were buried away, so the backlash from reliving them... I don't know. Kairi's always been... different." Namine sighed.

Sora nodded mutely, "I'm really hoping that she'll be... well, she won't be _fine_, but _better_ after some rest. She's recognizing Xigbar, which is a good step, considering that she got to the point where she wasn't recognizing _me_ last time... But it's not like we can keep a constant watch on her until Kadaj goes back to school-none of us expected that this would even _happen_."

Riku nodded, rubbing Sora's back in a gesture of comfort.

Xigbar walked into the kitchen. "She fell asleep. Call me the minute she wakes up if I'm not back, I'm going to my apartment to grab some things because I'm not leaving her until she's better."

Namine nodded. "All right."

Xigbar glanced at Sora, before turning and leaving.

Sora walked into the living room. Kairi was curled up on the couch, fast asleep (_finally,_ because she definitely needed it). Pulling a spare blanket out of the closet in the room and pulled it over her. "Why is part of me hoping he's planning on _killing_ him?" he asked Riku and Namine.

"Because the bastard deserves it?" Riku suggested, sitting down in a chair with Sora.

Namine sighed. "Xigbar doesn't know him. And even if he somehow finds him, I don't think he'll kill him. He won't risk not being able to be here with her."

Sora just nodded, groaning.

XXXX

Xigbar opened the door to the apartment, slamming it shut behind him. He saw Seifer on the couch but didn't see Leon. "Where's Leon? I need you two to do something for me. Now. Kairi's hurt."

Seifer looked over before shouting down the hall, "LEON! GET OUT HERE NOW."

The brunette walked out, looking only mildly annoyed until he saw Xigbar's face. "What happened?"

"Kairi's a complete mess - crying, won't talk, just absolutely broken. We were out and she ran off on her own for a few minutes and came back hysterical. It was her ex. I'm grabbing my stuff and heading back to her house - she's sleeping now, and her sister and friends are with her - but I need you to track down the asshole and ensure he stays the fuck away." Xigbar explained quickly, going to his room and starting to grab clothes and throw them into a bag, leaving the door open to talk as he did so.

"Okay," Leon answered, following him down the hall, "What do you know, then? Where is he?"

"His name is Kadaj. And that's all I know. Just find him. Sora wouldn't fucking tell me anything else but he knows the bastard. Just get him, all right? I gotta go." Xigbar said, grabbing the bag and turning to face his roommates.

Seifer nodded, now standing, "We'll find him. Keep us posted on Kairi."

Xigbar nodded wearily. "Thanks. Kick his balls in for me." He grinned maliciously before hurrying out the door, intent on getting back to Kairi.

Leon turned to Seifer, "How the hell are we going to find this guy?"

"You act like I know more than you do." Seifer said, "He said that this Sora guy knows him, right?"

"Yeah." Leon nodded, "Sora is Cloud's roommate's boyfriend's older brother, so maybe..."

"Fucking hell, how do you keep _track_ of that?"

Leon gave Seifer a look, "I'll call Cloud and see if I can get in touch with Roxas. Maybe he can find this Kadaj guy's address for us."

"Better plan than I've got." Seifer shrugged.

Leon nodded, and headed back to his room to grab his phone. Dialing Cloud, he hoped that he was home and that this would actually work.

"_Hey __Leon.__"_ Cloud said, answering.

"Hey." Leon said, "This is going to sound really strange, but is there any way you can get me in touch with Roxas?"

"_Um. Yeah, he's here with Axel, actually. Why you need to talk to him?"_ Cloud asked.

"Xigbar's girlfriend, Kairi." Leon answered, "Xig just walked through here asking Seifer and I to go kick the ass of her ex, who has apparently managed to reduce her to hysteria in a matter of minutes. Sora apparently knows Kadaj, so I'm hoping Roxas will be able to find him for me."

"_That sounds... incredibly complicated. Hang on."_ There was some rustling noises, and muffled voices and then Roxas spoke, _"Leon? Something happened to Kairi and you need my help?"_

"Yeah." Leon nodded, even though Roxas couldn't see him, "Know someone named Kadaj?"

Roxas swore. _"Goddammit, that asshole is back? He totally mindfucked Kairi."_

"Yeah, and if what Xigbar said was any indication, she's a mess right now. I need his address. Think you can get it for me?" Leon asked. There was no point in hiding what Xigbar had asked Seifer and him to do, and if Kadaj was as much of an asshole as everyone seemed to think he was, he doubted anyone would have any problem with it either.

"_I don't know it but I'm pretty sure Sora does-he's freaky overprotective like that when it comes to Kairi - but not to me apparently." _Roxas muttered the last part._ "Try calling_ _him?__"_

"Xigbar already said Sora wouldn't tell him anything." Leon frowned.

"_Oh. Hmm. Well, he'd have it written down somewhere, and he's probably at Kairi's now... gimme like fifteen minutes and I can call you back with the address. I'll get your number from Cloud. Okay?"_

"Sure." Leon said, "Thanks, Roxas."

"_No_ _problem._ _Get __him_ _good_ _when_ _you_ _find_ _him,_ _all_ _right?_ _I__'__ll_ _call soon_._" _Roxas hung up.

Leon shut his phone, heading back out to the living room to fill in Seifer.

XXXX

Xigbar sighed, staring at Kairi. She was currently sleeping in her bed. He was sitting in her desk chair, and Sora, Riku, and Namine were downstairs waiting for her to wake up. He shifted a little to try to get comfortable when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Glancing at his girlfriend's sleeping form, he quickly left the room, pacing in the hallway as he answered. "Hello?"

"_Hey._" It was Leon, _"__We __found __him. __How__'__s __Kairi?__"_

"Still sleeping. You guys get him yet?" Xigbar asked, gripping his phone tightly.

"_We're about to leave to do just that. You want us to pick you up?"_

Xigbar frowned, glancing at the bedroom door. "Yeah. I want a piece of the bastard." He rattled off Kairi's address, hanging up and heading downstairs. "I'll be back in a bit. I... forgot something."

Namine sighed. "Please be careful. Don't do anything reckless."

Riku nodded.

"I'll call you if she wakes up." Sora promised.

"Thanks. I'll be back soon." Xigbar said, heading outside. A few minutes later, Leon and Seifer pulled up and he climbed into the backseat. "How'd you find him?"

"Called Cloud, who got me in touch with Roxas, who found the address among Sora's stuff." Leon answered, pulling away from the curb and heading down the street.

Xigbar blinked. "Right. It's kinda weird how people are connected." He shook his head. "Anyway. Basic plan? No killing, because none of us can afford jail time, but a good beating would be nice, along with some threats."

"Sounds good to me." Seifer shrugged.

XXXX

Xigbar forgot his toothbrush. Totally.

Do I really have to clarify who this is? Is Jasmine this sarcastic?

Remember that chapter that I couldn't write ANs for 'cause a certain character was killing me? Hi Kairi, meet everyone. It's her fault. This was the chapter we were writing. It should all make some sense now.

I'm going to go back to stalling and not doing homework and possibly playing Flash Portal. :D

Posting note: Jasmine here. Xigbar kinda killed me in this plotline, too, except not as bad as Kairi killed Cami. :)

You're getting this a day early because I have wayyyy too much to do this weekend and don't want to forget again, so enjoy!


	34. Xigbar Takes A Page Out Of Cloud's Book

Jasmine here. Cami and I are both attempting NaNoWriMo, but we have enough chapters stockpiled for this to not effect our posting schedule (I think).

Still, just in case, know that we won't be actively writing new scenes for this until mid-December (after NaNo and finals).

Yeah. You probably don't care - after the last chapter, you're probably like "Shut up already I want to know what's happening!"

Right. Sorry. We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Kairi groaned as she opened her eyes, rubbing them absentmindedly and noting that they were swollen. Sitting up in her bed, she glanced around the room but found that she was alone.

What had-no. No. She wasn't going to think about that. Everything was fine. She was lying to herself, she knew it, but it was helping.

Her phone going off broke her train of thought. Reaching over, she checked the number to see that it was Xigbar. She quickly flipped it open, "Hello?"

"_Kairi?__"_ A voice that was _not_ Xigbar's filtered through, and it took Kairi a moment to realize that it was Leon.

"...Where's Xigbar?" she asked, tightening her grip on the phone.

"_Kairi, maybe I should talk to Sor-"_

"Leon, _where__'__s _Xigbar?" Kairi snapped into the phone.

Leon paused for a moment, and Kairi could hear him talking to someone else, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Why wouldn't he tell her where Xigbar was?

"Leon!"

"_He__'__s __in __the __hospital.__"_ Leon answered, before immediately cursing at his bluntness.

Kairi almost dropped the phone, "What? Why? What happened? Leon, tell me what happened!"

Leon sighed, _"__We __went __after...__" _he paused.

"Kadaj." Kairi realized, the pieces clicking into place, "What the _fuck_ did he do to Xigbar?" Kairi cursed.

"_Xigbar was threatening him, and he... snapped. Grabbed the closest sharp object and stabbed Xigbar with it before realizing what he'd done and taking off. We've called the police, and Xigbar's in surgery right now."_

Kairi let off a long string of curses that made Sora appear at the door, looking concerned, "Kai?"

"Leon, call me when he's out of surgery." Kairi ordered.

"_Of __course.__"_ Leon promised, _"__Are __you __coming __here?__"_

"Soon." Kairi promised, and then hung up without any other prompting, looking completely pissed.

"Kairi, what's going on?" Sora asked, concerned. He was pretty used to how Kairi acted in situations like this by now, and this was _not_ normal.

Kairi didn't answer, grabbing for her shoes and pulling them on. She went to go push past Sora, but he grabbed her shoulders. "Kairi!"

"Kadaj sent Xigbar to the hospital." Kairi answered, pulling out of Sora's grip and leaving down the stairs, past her sister and Riku in the living room before either of them could say a thing and jumping in her and Namine's car, it speeding out of the driveway before any of the three remaining people in the house could do anything about it.

XXXX

She pulled into the parking garage of Kadaj's older brother's apartment complex. Throwing her car into park, she climbed out, grabbing the keys and locking it before running up the still-familiar stairs to his apartment. She had dated Kadaj for _four__years._She knew where he would go if he was hiding from the cops.

_Pounding_ on the door, she yelled, "KADAJ, GET YOUR FUCKING ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW."

His brother, looking mildly annoyed with her, opened the door. "Hello, Kairi."

Kairi glared at him, "Where's Kadaj?"

"He's not really stable right now." he answered, "You know him just as well as I do-"

Kairi repeated herself, but this time with more malice behind her words, "_Where__'__s __Kadaj?__"_

His brother sighed, pointing towards the living room, knowing there was no stopping his brother's furious ex-girlfriend and grabbing his keys and leaving the house. His brother could use his apartment as a hideout, but hell if he was getting arrested for harboring a criminal.

Kairi walked into the living room, immediately grabbing Kadaj's arm whirling the man around to look at her. The cocky confidence from earlier was gone, and Kairi was vaguely (in the not furious section of her brain) able to realize that his brother had been right-he wasn't stable right then. This was probably pretty dangerous. The part of her mind in control of her actions couldn't have cared less.

"Kairi?" he asked, throat sounding sore.

Kairi clenched her hands to resist the urge to punch him in the face. "I fucking swear, Kadaj, if you ever even _joke_ about coming anywhere near me, my family, or my friends _ever_ again, there will be too many pieces for the police to find!" she snapped at him, continuing to yell.

He stared at her, and Kairi got the impression that he was only half there in the first place. She didn't care. All of her anger at him from the past seven years was pouring out as she yelled at him, threatening him and daring him to even TRY and hurt her or her family again. It was making her feel better, not that she could tell. She was too focused on Xigbar to even realize.

Finally through yelling her head off, she pushed Kadaj down onto the couch and stormed out the door, whipping out her cell phone and dialing 911 without a care. The police would be finding Kadaj if she had anything to say about it. She knew the most likely places he would go, if he even left his brother's apartment, which she doubted. She would see to it that Kadaj did _not_ get away with this.

XXXX

"Fuck, she's not here?" Sora asked as he walked into the waiting room and spotted Leon and Seifer sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chairs, but the absence of the redhead they'd come searching for.

Leon shook his head, "I haven't seen her, no." he said, "I thought she was with you."

"Stormed out of the house and got in the car. Barely even told me what happened." Sora cursed again.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Namine asked worried.

Riku grabbed her hand. "I'm sure she's fine." He reassured.

Cloud burst into the waiting room, going straight to Leon, followed by Roxas and Axel. "How is he?"

Roxas went to Sora. "How's Kairi?"

"Still in surgery." Leon answered.

Sora cursed, "Hell if I know-she _ran__off!_" he said, "I don't even know where she IS right now."

Unfazed, Roxas nodded. "You try calling her?"

"How bad, do they know?" Cloud asked.

Sora shook his head, "Just got here a second ago."

Leon sighed, "They haven't told me anything."

"All right, well, let's try that now. I'm sure everything is fine. Let's sit, at least." Roxas said, grabbing Axel's hand and sitting down.

Everyone else sat down too and Namine sighed. "This day has been insane." She muttered.

Riku smiled wryly. "No kidding."

Sora dialed Kairi's phone number, but it went straight to voicemail. He cursed as he hung up, not bothering to leave a message.

Riku grabbed his hand, "It'll be okay. She's probably on her way - that's why she didn't answer."

"Leon, before she gets here - what the fuck happened?" Cloud asked bluntly.

"We went to go confront, threaten, whatever the hell Xigbar had planned, and that Kadaj guy _snapped_ and pulled a knife on Xigbar." Leon answered.

"Fuck." Sora sighed, "Kadaj obviously didn't get any help in the three years we haven't seen him."

"He's not all there, is he?" Seifer asked, glancing over.

Sora shook his head, "No, but he's damn good at hiding it."

"He's creepy." Roxas shuddered.

"How bad was the wound? What did they say when you got here?" Riku asked.

Axel put his arm over Roxas's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Knife in the shoulder, so it was mostly worry about muscles and tendons that had them rushing him into surgery, not organs." Leon answered, "Bleeding like hell, though."

Namine squeezed her eyes shut. "I hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine - Xigbar's not one to give up." Cloud said, squeezing Leon's hand and smiling at Seifer, trying to cheer them up.

Leon just mutely nodded, not answering this time. The doors opened and Sora glanced over to see Kairi walk in, looking surprisingly... okay. He jumped up, "Kairi!"

She glanced at him, "He still in surgery?" she asked anyone who would answer.

Namine stood up, quickly hugging her sister. "Yes."

"You okay, Kairi?" Roxas asked, offering her a smile.

Kairi just nodded, "The police have the locations that he's likely to go to, but he's probably not going to leave his brother's apartment." she said, hugging her sister back. She was shaking just barely, and it was mostly from worry over Xigbar.

"So you did confront him." Riku confirmed.

"He hurt you?" Cloud frowned.

Kairi shook her head, sinking down into one of the chairs.

"That's good, at least." Cloud said, nodding.

Namine sat next to her, taking her hand. "He's going to be fine." She murmured. "It didn't hit anything major."

Kairi glanced over at her, "Good." she breathed.

Sora sat down in the seat on her other side, "How are _you_ feeling?"

"I'll feel better when I know he's okay." Kairi answered.

Riku moved to Sora's other side, taking his hand. Roxas leaned in to Axel, and everyone seemed to settle in to wait.

"Mr. Leonhart?" A doctor asked, walking into the room, causing everyone to jump up.

"Yes?" Leon said, taking a step forward.

"Mr. Stuart is out of surgery now and in recovery. We managed to repair the muscle damage, but it will be several weeks before he can fully use that arm again. Otherwise, he's going to be fine. A nurse will be in to let you know when he's settled for visitations." The doctor explained, shaking Leon's hand and nodding before leaving.

Leon sat back down, taking a deep breath that was almost a sigh of relief, and Kairi leaned into her sister, obviously less tense.

Cloud hugged Leon, sitting next to him and grinning.

Roxas sighed and squeezed Axel's hand, relieved.

Namine guided Kairi back into the chairs. "I told you he'd be fine."

"Yeah, you can probably see him soon, although they might not let us all in there..." Riku trailed off just as a nurse popped into the room. "Family and friends of Xigbar Stuart? You can see him now, room 302. He's still a little groggy but awake. We ask you visit two at a time please."

Kairi pulled herself from her sister's arms and headed past the nurse, murmuring a thank you, but not checking to see who was coming with her. She hesitated for just a moment at the door to Xigbar's room before pushing it open and taking a step in.

Xigbar blinked at the figure in the doorway. "That you Red?"

"Yeah." she said, walking towards him, "Hey..."

Struggling, Xigbar managed to push himself up into a sitting position using only one arm, reaching for Kairi with that hand. "How you doing?"

Kairi gently pushed him back down, sitting lightly on the edge of his bed, taking his hand in hers, and shrugging, "Better. More importantly, how are _you_ feeling?"

"Worried about you. Jesus, Sass, you had me so worried..." He squeezed her hands. "I'm fine. Prick barely got me." He smirked.

"Right, which is why you're in the hospital." she giggled softly, holding his hand tightly, "Xigbar... please, _please_ don't do something like that again."

"Didn't plan on landing here in the first place." Xigbar grunted, slipping his hand out of hers and reaching up to cup her cheek. "Come here so I can kiss you." He murmured.

Kairi shuffled over and leaned down, giving him a kiss.

Xigbar smiled when she pulled back. "Glad you're okay, Red."

"I'm glad _you__'__re_ okay." Kairi said, "Kadaj could've killed you when he snapped like that, Xig-he's not..."

She was interrupted by Leon poking his head in, "Sorry to interrupt."

Kairi just shook her head, beckoning him in but not moving.

"Hey. You listen to me right now. That bastard got in a lucky shot, that's all. I told you, he barely hit me. I'm fine, okay?" Xigbar said, studying her face before turning to Leon. "Hey, man. Please tell me the prick's in jail."

"Well, your girlfriend apparently tipped the police off to pretty much all the possible places he could run, so I'd say that's a large possibility." Leon answered.

Xigbar grinned. "Nice going, Sass." To Leon, he said, "When the hell they letting me outta here? And where's Seifer?"

"They're only letting us in two at a time, so he's waiting." Leon answered, "And I don't know, they didn't answer that question yet."

"Well when you find out, let me know somehow, okay? I'm leaving tomorrow with or without their cooperation." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi smacked his good shoulder lightly, "I don't think so."

"I told you, I'm fine. Tell the lady I'm fine, Leon." Xigbar demanded.

"Nah, I agree with her." Leon said, chuckling, "I'll go find a nurse and let Seifer come in." he smiled, "See you later."

"Hey, you're supposed to agree with me!" Xigbar yelled at his back as he left before sighing and turning to Kairi. "I hate hospitals."

"Then don't do stupid shit that gets you sent to hospitals." she laughed softly, giving him another kiss and squeezing his hand, "But thank you."

"For what?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi shook her head and smiled at him.

Xigbar studied her. "I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done for me, Sass."

Kairi smiled again, "I know." she said, leaning in and kissing him again as Seifer walked in.

Xigbar sighed when she pulled back, noticing Seifer. "Hey. You guys find out when they're releasing me?"

"Seems you're in luck. As long as there aren't any complications, they're gonna let you go sometime tomorrow. They want to keep you overnight for observation." Seifer answered.

Xigbar sighed, nodding. "Good. One of you'll pick me up? And hey, try to find out about this bastard's whereabouts, okay?"

Seifer nodded, "Already planning on it. Leon's on the phone right now." he said, "How're you?"

"I'm fine. You know I've had worse." Xigbar grinned. "This is barely a scratch."

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, don't overdo it." he said, "From what I've heard about this guy, you were lucky you just got a 'scratch.'"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't trash the apartment tonight when it's just you and Leon, all right? And hey, thanks." Xigbar said.

Seifer just smiled, and repeated his own words, "Yeah, yeah. We'll be back tomorrow." he said, waving and leaving.

Xigbar snorted, turning back to Kairi. "You it for the visiting brigade or are there more out there?"

"Cloud's out there." Kairi answered.

"Who the hell called him?" Xigbar asked.

"Leon, of course." Cloud said from the doorway. "You're an asshole, trying to pull heroics, you know that." He pretended to glare.

"Hey, hey, this was nothing!" Xigbar protested.

"Sure. I'll call Cid and update him. You just focus on healing up and fixing things for your girlfriend - you had her, all of us, worried." Cloud said.

"Okay, okay!" Xigbar grinned.

"Hey, Kairi? Sora wanted me to tell you he and Riku are going to stay to wait for you when visiting hours are over, but Roxas and Axel are taking Namine home. Leon, Seifer, and I are leaving, too." Cloud added.

Kairi shook her head, "Tell them they can go." she said, "I have my car."

"And Sora said to tell you he doesn't care and him and Riku will still be waiting when you're done." Cloud grinned.

Xigbar nodded. "Good. I don't want you driving home alone anyway, Sass."

Kairi huffed, "I drove to Kadaj's brother's by myself, and I drove here by myself, and this was _before_ I knew you were okay." she said, not quite realizing what she'd just admitted to.

"You did what? Jesus Christ, did you actually find him? Are you okay?" Xigbar demanded, attempting to sit up again.

"I'll, um, see you later." Cloud muttered, ducking out of the room.

"Lay down!" Kairi said, surprised, pushing him back down, "I'm fine!"

"Why would you go after him alone? He could've hurt you! That bastard!" Xigbar fumed, struggling against Kairi for a moment before giving up and lying down, left shoulder throbbing in pain.

"I- he- you..." Kairi stammered, "He _hurt_ you! I did nothing that you wouldn't have done for me." Kairi turned his own words back on him.

"Dammit, Sass." Xigbar said wearily, reaching for her hand again. "I don't like the idea of you near him - I don't want you hurt. _I__'__m_ supposed to protect _you_."

"He didn't do anything." Kairi promised, "Like I told you earlier, he snapped when he hurt you, and after he snaps, he... well, shuts down." she explained, "But I was pissed at him, and worried about you, and... not really thinking, so I went there and yelled at him for like ten minutes before finally leaving and calling the police." she said, taking his hand and squeezing it.

Xigbar nodded, closing his eyes and shifting, trying not to wince in front of Kairi. "Just stay safe now, okay?"

Kairi nodded, leaning in and kissing him, "As long as you promise you won't go and get stabbed again." she said, "Considering I have no other ex-boyfriends to stab you, this should be easy."

"You got it, Sass." Xigbar grinned, kissing her back, this time unable to hide his wince as the movement pulled at his shoulder; his pain meds must've been wearing off.

"Lemme call a nurse." Kairi said, standing up.

Xigbar grabbed onto her with the hand that hurt less to move. "No, it's okay, I'm fine."

Kairi gave him a look, "Xigbar."

"Kairi." Xigbar said levelly.

Kairi rolled her eyes, turning around and leaning down to give him a kiss, reaching up with her other hand to press the button that would call a nurse.

Xigbar sighed, cupping her face, thankful she was okay.

Kairi successfully pressed the button and pulled back, smiling lightly at him, "You're a bit of a handful." she said with a smile.

"But I do love it when you handle me, Sass." Xigbar smirked.

Kairi giggled, "Mmm... I love you." she murmured, leaning in for another kiss.

Xigbar blinked at her, stunned as the nurse walked in. "Is everything all right?" She asked.

Kairi pulled back, "His pain meds are wearing off, I think. He said he was in pain."

"Oh, let me check." The nurse said, moving over to Xigbar's IV stand.

"No, I'm fine, really." Xigbar protested.

The nurse smiled at him in amusement. "No need to act tough, dear. I've given you some more pain killers, you should feel it very soon. Just press the call button again if you need anything else." She smiled and left.

"You... sneaky little..." Xigbar said, eyelids already getting heavy but fighting off sleep as best he could.

Kairi just smiled at him, "I'll be here 'til visiting hours end." she promised.

"That's good." Xigbar sighed, allowing his eyes to slip shut. "I'm just... resting my eyes..."

Kairi giggled, pulling the chair in the room close so she could hold his hand.

Xigbar squeezed her hand once before falling asleep.

XXXX

Xigbar cursed as the nurse helped him adjust his arm in his new sling, glaring at the waiting Leon as if daring him to laugh. "Is this really necessary?"  
"Yes. It'll keep the strain on your shoulder to a minimum, but you'll still feel some discomfort and soreness." The nurse said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "I just need to get the discharge papers and then you're free to go." She said, leaving to the room for a moment.

"Well, at least it's your left shoulder, so you won't have any trouble with paperwork." Leon smirked.

"Fuck you." Xigbar muttered as the nurse came back in, wheeling a wheelchair.

"No way." Xigbar said firmly.

"It's hospital policy. Here's the paperwork, I need you both to sign." The nurse said, holding the papers out to Xigbar, who quickly signed them and passed them to Leon, glaring at the wheelchair.

Leon signed them as well, handing them back to the nurse.

"All right, Mr. Stuart. You're ready to leave." The nurse said.

Xigbar stood up. "Thank god." He tried to walk past the wheelchair but the nurse blocked him. "It is our policy. Please don't make me call security."

Cursing under his breath, Xigbar unceremoniously sat in the wheelchair and the nurse smiled.

The three left the room, taking the elevator down to the lobby and the nurse wheeled Xigbar to the doors. "All right, you're all set now. Have a good day." She said.

Xigbar stood up. "Yeah, thanks." He said, following Leon out of the hospital.

Leon rolled his eyes, "Do you have any idea how much you were pouting?" he asked, approaching Seifer's car, where Seifer and Kairi were waiting for them.

"It's not like my legs were broken." Xigbar growled before noticing Kairi. "What're you doing here, Red? Don't you have class?"

Kairi just shrugged, smiling at him.

"You skipped, didn't you?" Xigbar asked, grinning. "Didn't have to, but thanks, Red."

Kairi grinned back, "How's the shoulder?"

"Told you, it's fine, Sass." Xigbar said, rolling his eyes. "Let's get outta here already, I hate hospitals."

"Yeah, and guess who the lucky one who had to come pick you up was?" Seifer grumbled at him, climbing back into the car, "Come on, already."

"Aw, Seifer, you act like I did this on purpose or something." Xigbar teased as he awkwardly climbed into the backseat, having to twist in order to close the door. "Oh, yeah. Happy birthday." He said cheekily.

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Yeah, thanks." he said, making sure Kairi and Leon had gotten in the car before starting it and pulling away from the curb.

"So besides picking me up, any plans? Got a date, by any chance?" Xigbar smirked.

"No, I have class and then I have work." Seifer gave him a look, "Though I might skip work. Not like Xemnas will notice."

"Sure. And then maybe grab a meal at the college with a classmate." Xigbar winked at him. "There, my birthday present to you - good advice."

Seifer rolled his eyes but couldn't resist smirking.

Kairi gave Xigbar a questioning look, but didn't ask.

Ignoring the two in the front seat now, Xigbar turned to Kairi. "You okay, Red?"

Kairi smiled lightly and nodded, "Yeah. You?"

"Dandy, Sass. Just dandy." Xigbar grinned.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Stop acting tough." she said, reaching over to take his good hand and squeeze it.

"Who said anything about acting?" Xigbar smirked, squeezing her hand back and using it to pull her close enough to kiss her, effectively preventing any more comments.

Kairi rolled her eyes but leaned into the kiss, perfectly fine with being unable to talk.

Xigbar pulled back just as the car stopped and Seifer parked. "You staying for a bit, Red?"

"Would that be okay?" she asked.

"Of course - you know I'd never turn you away, Sass." Xigbar smiled, letting go of her hand in favor of turning to open the car door.

Kairi smiled at him and hopped out of the car herself, walking around to meet Xigbar. Leon climbed out, but leaned onto his own car.

"I've got to get to work." he said, glancing at his watch, "And Seifer's heading to class." he gestured to the blonde that had yet to exit his own car, but had rolled the window down.

"M'capable of talking for myself, y'know." he gave Leon a look.

"Right, how could I forget, you're all grown up now."

"Shut the fuck up, Leon." Seifer grumbled, "Later." he said, pulling out of the parking garage.

Leon rolled his eyes.

Xigbar snickered. "Let's go." He took Kairi's hand as they walked up to the apartment. Xigbar pulled Kairi in and straight into his bedroom, closing the door behind her, leaning her against it as he kissed her, pulling back and smiling. "I didn't get a chance before 'cause you surprised me, Sass, but I love you too."

Kairi's face lit up and she leaned in, giving him another kiss, "I didn't expect you to reply-I know I sort of threw it on you out of nowhere." she admitted.

Xigbar laughed. "Yeah you did. But I've known I loved you since we pretty much started dating, so it was more surprise you were ready to say it rather than freaking out about feeling it. You are a damn amazing woman, Sass."

Kairi blushed, "No, I'm really not." she frowned, "I'm really sorry about freaking out on you while we were shopping."

"Hey, don't disagree with me - you're amazing. Period. And it's okay. Can I ask you some questions about it - about him? Sora and Namine never got around to telling me the story and I'd rather hear it from you, anyway." Xigbar said.

Kairi hesitated, but nodded, "I'll try."

"How long were you two... together? Was he always that crazy?" Xigbar asked, forcing himself not to blurt out the other questions buzzing in his head as he led them both to his bed and sat down.

"Four years." Kairi answered, leaning into him, "And... I don't think so, but Sora says otherwise. I didn't really notice."

"Why'd you break up? Were you the one to do it?" Xigbar asked, putting his good arm around her.

"After he left for school, I started to realize what he was doing to me." Kairi said, shuddering lightly without realizing it, "I broke up with him, but I'm sure Sora told you what I was like afterwards."

"A little. Not really - I was more focused on you and then keeping him away to worry about what had happened in the past." Xigbar said. "Did he ever... hurt you? Physically?"

Kairi flinched.

Xigbar cursed. "Kairi? What'd he do? Were you ever in the hospital because of that bastard? Did he... did he rape you?"

"He never sent me to the hospital." Kairi said, "And... he never raped me." she said, "We had sex, but..." she trailed off.

Xigbar's face hardened. Carefully, he asked, "Did he ever keep going when you said no or weren't in the mood?"

She was quiet, not looking at him, "I never told him no."

"Fuck." Xigbar cursed quietly, pulling her closer. "It's okay. He's never coming near you again, I promise."

Kairi relaxed against him, "I know. I... I'm okay."

"Hey, look at me." Xigbar said, forcing her to look at him. "It's okay if you aren't. Seriously, I completely understand why this would shake you up, okay? So you don't have to hide it. I love ya, Red."

Kairi leaned up so she could kiss him, "Thank you." she breathed.

Xigbar kissed her again before saying, "I haven't done anything worth thanking."

"Trust me." Kairi said, "You really have."

Xigbar shook his head but smiled. "Sure, Sass. How about we go watch a movie or something?"

"Sure." Kairi smiled lightly.

XXXX

Hayner stuffed his hands into his - Seifer's - jacket as he walked to the courtyard by the library. The older blonde had insisted that the jacket he had left behind at movie night was the one he'd given Hayner, and Hayner caved seeing as the scent on this one was stronger, anyway, even if it was starting to fade now. He glanced at the sky, hoping it would snow again, not watching where he was walking and tripping over a rock, arms flailing as he stumbled.

Someone grabbed his arm before he could fall, lifting him back up and keeping him relatively steady, "You alright there, sweetheart?"

Hayner blushed and jerked out of his grip. "Don't start with that again!"

Seifer laughed, "Nice to see you too."

"Thanks." Hayner mumbled, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "So how's your roommate? Didn't something happen yesterday? Roxas was a ball of energy this morning."

"Yeah, he's fine." Seifer said, "It'll take more than a knife to the shoulder to keep him down." he rolled his eyes.

Hayner winced. "That's good, I guess."

Seifer shrugged, "Long day." he sighed.

"Ah." Hayner said, glancing at him. "Um. So where're you going now?"

Seifer glanced at his watch, "Probably home. Skipping work. Why?"

Hayner shrugged. "Just wondering. You want this jacket back before you leave campus? 'Cause we both know you left this one at my house on movie night."

"We can trade if you want." he teased.

Hayner blushed again. "I'm always going to regret telling you I liked the smell, aren't I?" He groaned.

"Are you regretting it?" Seifer laughed.

"If you keep teasing me, yes. You and Roxas both find sick amusement out of picking on me, jerks." Hayner very nearly pouted.

Of course, Seifer thought that was adorable. "I wouldn't call it sick amusement." he rolled his eyes, taking off his jacket, "Gimme that jacket." he said, offering the one he'd been wearing out to the younger blonde.

Hayner eyed him suspiciously. "Why? To make fun of me more?"

"Does it sound like I'm trying to make fun of you?" Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"No." Hayner sighed, taking off the jacket he was wearing and giving it to Seifer.

Seifer chuckled, handing him the other one and pulling the one Hayner had handed him on.

Hayner stared at the jacket in his hands before pulling it on and blushing. It was so warm... "Why're you skipping work?"

"Didn't feel like going in on my birthday if my boss won't even notice anyway." Seifer shrugged.

Hayner gaped at him. "It's your birthday?"

Seifer chuckled, smirking, "Mmm."

"Damn. Well, happy birthday, then. Doing anything fun?" Hayner asked.

"Nope." Seifer shrugged, "Picked up my roommate from the hospital, went to class, and now I'm skipping work."

"C'mon, you gotta do something for your birthday! At least have cake or something." Hayner said.

Seifer laughed, "My birthday is usually met with roommates attempting my murder, so this hasn't actually been that bad."

Hayner gave him a look. "You're weird."

Seifer just laughed again.

"So do you have any finals next week?" Hayner asked.

"Yeah, both of my classes." Seifer nodded, "You?"

"Two projects, two finals." Hayner sighed. "I can't wait for them to just be over."

Seifer chuckled, "Looking forward to winter break?" he guessed.

"Hell yeah! Sleeping in and no more essay writing! Plus it's the heart of winter, so snowball fights and snowboarding and Christmas..." Hayner said, smiling.

Seifer smiled, "I take it you like winter, then."

"Yeah, I love it. What about you? Most people tend to hate it." Hayner commented.

Seifer shrugged, "I don't really have a favorite season." he admitted.

"Sure you do! Okay, would you rather be out in the snow or on a beach somewhere?" Hayner asked.

Seifer shrugged, "If I was by myself? The beach, 'cause I'm less likely to freeze to death."

"So would you rather there be a breeze at the beach or it be warm enough outside that the water's not freezing?" Hayner asked.

"I know you're trying to figure out my favorite season, but these questions are weird." Seifer informed him.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "Just answer the damn question."

"I dunno, a breeze, I guess."

"Spring, then. See, was that so difficult?" Hayner smirked.

Seifer rolled his eyes.

Hayner laughed. "Aw, I can just picture you running through a field of flowers in the springtime, not a care in the world!" Not at all seriously, he asked, "What's your favorite flower, Seif?"

Seifer gave him a look, "Sweetheart, is there something you forgot to tell me?" he joked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hayner blushed.

Seifer laughed.

"Seriously! Stop laughing at me!" Hayner demanded, blushing deeper.

"You hungry?" Seifer asked, still looking amused.

Hayner's stomach growled before he could answer. "Yeah. I kinda skipped lunch."

"Come on." Seifer said, heading towards the parking lot.

Hayner followed him, looking confused. "The cafeteria is in the other direction." He pointed out.

"I know." Seifer said, "I'm getting pizza. Are you coming?"

Hayner hesitated. "Uh..." He pulled out his wallet, double checking he had some money with him. "Yeah, okay."

Seifer, having no intentions of making Hayner pay for the pizza he was dragging him to go get, just rolled his eyes.

"What? I wasn't expecting to buy pizza today!" Hayner snapped, blushing a little as he climbed into Seifer's car.

"And I wasn't implying I was going to make you buy pizza today." Seifer shrugged, "I'm getting a pizza whether you decide to come or not, so either way, I'd be paying for it."

Hayner looked at him weirdly. "You're going to buy yourself pizza on your own birthday, and are now offering me some of that pizza? You really are weird."

"I wasn't kidding about the usually getting almost murdered on my birthday." Seifer said in response, pulling into the parking lot of the pizza place that they definitely could have walked to if they were feeling less lazy.

"At least let me give you some money to cover my slices or something." Hayner said as he climbed out of the car.

Seifer shook his head.

"Don't be a stubborn ass." Hayner growled.

"I'm not being a stubborn ass." Seifer chuckled.

Hayner threw up his hands in aggravation. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get the food already."

Seifer laughed.

Hayner yanked the door open to the pizza place. "After you, your highness." He said sarcastically.

"Who's being an ass now?" Seifer joked.

Hayner snorted. "You're lucky it's your birthday."

Seifer stuck his tongue out.

"What are you, turning two?" Hayner laughed.

"Wouldn't you like to know." he said, plopping into a booth.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "I already know how old you are. Jesus, already starting to lose your memory?"

"Nah, just enjoying teasing you." Seifer shrugged.

"Of course." Hayner mumbled from across from him just as the waitress appeared and he glanced at Seifer, waiting for him to order whatever the hell he was getting.

Seifer just ordered a large plain pizza, and then leaned back in his seat.

The waitress left and Hayner stared at Seifer before glancing away, unable to think of anything to say to break the silence.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Hayner scowled. "I hate cats."

Seifer laughed.

"So why didn't you have plans with your family for your birthday, since your friends don't care?" Hayner asked.

"I didn't say my friends didn't care, they're just not the celebrating type." Seifer shrugged, "And neither is my dad, for that matter."

"Oh. What about your mom?" Hayner asked.

"Never knew her." Seifer shrugged.

"Oh. Sorry." Hayner glanced at the table.

Seifer shook his head, "No worries. S'not like I had a bad childhood or anything, I just don't know my mom."

Hayner nodded slowly. "Okay." Before any more could be said, the waitress came back with their pizza, placing it on the table before walking away.

"What about you?" Seifer asked as he grabbed a slice of pizza.

"What about me?" Hayner asked, confused, as he took a slice and dropped it onto his plate as it was way too freaking hot to attempt to eat right now.

"Parents still around?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. They're still together and all that, just hardly ever home due to their jobs. As soon as Olette and me were old enough to take care of ourselves, they focused on furthering their careers and..." Hayner shrugged. "They aren't bad parents, just are never around."

Seifer nodded, "Ah. Sorry."

Hayner shrugged again. "It's not really a big deal."

Seifer nodded again.

Hayner shifted, picking up the pizza and taking a big bite, swallowing before saying, "You sure you don't want me to help pay for this?"

"I dragged you here." Seifer reminded him.

"So." Hayner snorted. "I could've said no."

Seifer just rolled his eyes.

"Well whatever. Happy birthday, then." Hayner said, saluting Seifer with his pizza slice.

Seifer laughed, "Thanks."

XXXX

A bit anticlimactic, I know.

So, another plotline done-ish. Yay?

I've got a cold and I think the meds are messing with my head a little - or maybe that's all 30 of Alex Day's songs that I just bought and have been listening to on repeat nonstop...

Alice, that last scene, as always, was for you. :D

Everyone else, hope you liked it! Review please?


	35. So Much Shit Happens!

Cloud popped his head into Cid's office. "Taking my lunch."

Cid grunted, standing and heading out into the shop, as Xigbar wasn't working.

Cloud grabbed his keys and threw on his jacket, heading out to where Leon was waiting in his car, quickly climbing in. "Hey." He leaned over to give him a quick kiss before buckling up.

"Hey yourself." Leon chuckled, "Decide where we're going?" he asked.

"I told _you_ to pick." Cloud laughed.

Leon sighed overdramatically and gave Cloud a look, "Alright, fine. But you're choosing next time." he said, heading down the street in the direction of Dragonfly Soy Sauce.

Cloud grinned and nodded. "That's fine. So how's Xigbar doing?"

"Whining constantly, until Kairi walks into the room." Leon rolled his eyes, "Gotta act tough in front of her, of course. Considering asking her to move in until he's out of that sling, if only to keep him occupied."

Cloud laughed. "You could always come stay in with me until he's better. If you don't mind sharing a bed with me, that is."

Leon smirked, "What makes you think I'd mind that?" he asked, turning to face Cloud as he stopped at a stoplight, "But I can't subject Seifer to that, no matter how much I'd enjoy it."

"Ah well. It was worth a try." Cloud winked. "So where are we going, anyway?"

"Dragonfly Soy Sauce." Leon said, "Chinese place. Sound okay?"

"Sure." Cloud smiled.

Leon smiled back and continued down the street.

"So, I wanted to ask you - is your last name really Leonhart?" Cloud asked.

Leon glanced over just briefly, "Yeah." he said, "Been wondering since the hospital?" he guessed.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. So.. Leon Leonhart? I'm sorry, but that can't be your real name - it sounds ridiculous."

Leon laughed and shook his head, "It isn't." he promised, "My first name's Squall. Just haven't used it in years."

Cloud cocked his head. "Why not?"

Leon shrugged, "Just started to go by Leon when I went to live with my aunt."

"Ah." Cloud said. He was silent for a moment, before testing it out, "Squall? Squall. Huh."

Leon chuckled, "Don't strain yourself. Not even sure I respond to it anymore."

Cloud laughed. "Okay then. Leon it is."

Leon chuckled again, parking his car and leaning over to give Cloud a kiss.

Cloud sighed, leaning in to Leon and tilting his head, letting his eyes drift closed.

As Leon pulled back, he smirked, "You know, we don't _have_ to get lunch."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to have sex with you in your car instead of getting lunch?" He chuckled.

Leon chuckled softly as well, but didn't answer.

Cloud sighed. "I'm not having sex with you for the first time in your car, Leon."

"I wasn't actually implying sex, if we want to be technical here." Leon said, "But that's fine. Lunch?" he asked with a smile.

"Lunch." Cloud nodded, getting out of the car and walking over to Leon, leaning him back against his car for one more kiss. "Now we can go in." The blonde smirked.

Leon smirked back, "Tease." he said, taking Cloud's hand and heading towards the restaurant.

Cloud grinned at him, not denying it.

XXXX

Sora chuckled at something Riku said, leaning in to give his boyfriend a kiss, just as his mother walked into the room.

She blinked, rubbing her eyes, before checking to see that Sora was actually practically on top of Riku and she wasn't dreaming it.

"I'm not home nearly as often as I should be, am I?" she muttered to herself.

Turning a little pink, Sora stammered, "Mom, uh..."

Sora's mother just shook her head, "No, no, don't let me interrupt." she said, mildly amused.

It was Sora's turn to blink.

"Really, Sora, _everyone_ saw this coming except you." she informed him, "Is there food in the kitchen or do I need to go shopping?"

"There's food..." Sora said, still a little startled. His mother nodded, smiling at the two of them before walking into the kitchen.

Sora just blinked again.

Riku laughed. "That went better than I expected."

Sora glanced down at his boyfriend (who he was still on top of). "Did everyone really see this coming except me?"

"I think so. To be fair, I didn't see it happening, either." Riku said, leaning his forehead against Sora's.

Sora frowned and leaned in, kissing Riku, instead of answering.

"Mm, as much as I approve of this, you do have a room you could be doing this in." Sora's mother said.

Sora, who hadn't heard her walk in, glanced over. "Er, right." Pausing, he frowned, "Wait, room. Roxas is upstairs."

"Yes... is that a problem?" Sora's mother raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't Axel upstairs with him?" Sora asked Riku, ignoring his mother's questioning look.

"Yeah, I think so." Riku nodded.

Sora climbed off of Riku, grabbing his mother's wrist and dragging her towards the stairs, sandwich and all, "Be right back." he told Riku.

"Who's Axel?" Sora's mother asked, mildly amused.

Sora didn't answer, knocking on Roxas's door at the top of the stairs.

There was some scrambling and then a flushed Roxas opened the door. "Uh, hi Sora. Hi Mom. I didn't know you were home..."

"No one ever seems to." she shrugged, patting Roxas on the head, "Who's Axel?"

Sora took a step backwards before vanishing down the stairs.

"Oh. Well. He's my boyfriend. Actually, um.." He opened the door wider, revealing Axel sitting on his bed. "Mom, Axel. Axel, my mom."

Axel stood up, "Er, hi Ms. McOskey."

She glanced up at him, "Not to be blunt, but _how_ old are you?" she raised an eyebrow.

Axel shifted awkwardly, "25, ma'am."

Glancing down at her younger son, and then at his boyfriend, she sighed, "What _is_ it with you and older guys, Roxas, really?"

Roxas blushed. "Mom!" He protested.

His mother chuckled, "It's nice to meet you, Axel."

"You too." Axel said, shifting again.

"I'll leave you two to it. Try not to get too loud, okay?" she smirked, before walking down the stairs.

Roxas gaped at her before slamming his door shut and facing Axel, embarrassed. "Sorry about her."

Axel chuckled, "Don't worry about it. She seems pretty awesome." he admitted, crossing the room to the blonde.

A shout from downstairs made him wait and not kiss Roxas, and sure enough, a moment later, the door was thrown open again and Sora was attacking the light switch with his mother watching the ceiling, amused.

"Sora! Stop, you'll break my light!" Roxas yelled, hitting his brother's hand and making him stop, plunging the room into darkness except for the glow-in-the-dark stars.

The boys' mother grinned, "Okay, that's pretty awesome." Glancing at Axel, she nodded, "Good one."

"Er, thanks." Axel said, sheepish.

"Did you seriously leave Riku alone down there? What a horrible boyfriend you are." Roxas said to his brother, linking his hand with Axel's.

"Riku's the one that mentioned the stars in the first place." Sora protested.

Roxas just shook his head. "Okay, now that you've seen it... Um, I'll see you both later." Roxas said meaningfully.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." he said, leaving and heading back down the stairs. His mother smiled at the two of them, before leaving herself, shutting the door behind her.

Roxas sighed, turning to Axel. "I think you were just about to..."

Axel smirked, leaning down and kissing Roxas.

Roxas grinned, pressing closer to his boyfriend.

XXXX

"That test was horrific."

It was a week later, and Kairi had just finished her last final. Sora hopped up as she walked out of the classroom, having finished the final just a few minutes before her.

"It wasn't _that_ bad." Sora rolled his eyes.

Kairi turned to stare at him, "In what realm of the _universe_ was that 'not that bad'?"

Sora laughed, "Come on, let's go find your sister."

Kairi huffed, following Sora out of the building and towards the social sciences building.

Namine smiled when she saw then coming. "I've been waiting for a while... was the test okay?"

Kairi groaned, as Sora laughed, "It was fine."

Namine patted Kairi's shoulder. "I'm sure you both did fine. Was that your last final, Sora?"

"Yeah." Sora grinned, "Free 'til January." he said, excited.

"Us, too." Namine smiled. "Any big plans?"

Sora shrugged, "Not really. Riku's got that Box Depot Christmas party thing, and I'm going with him to that, but besides that, nope."

"Have fun!" Namine said. "Are you all set Kairi?"

"Yep." Kairi nodded, "You finding Roxas, Sora?"

"Yeah. He should be somewhere near the soccer field." Sora shrugged.

"All right, we'll see you later then!" Namine said, starting towards the parking lot with Kairi and waving.

"See you." Sora waved, and headed towards the soccer fields.

XXXX

"He shoots, he scores!" Pence yelled, laughing as Hayner shot his soccer ball into the goal.

Hayner grinned. "We're done! Finally!"

"Yeah!" Roxas laughed, spinning Olette in a circle.

Hayner collected his soccer ball from the net, jogging over to his friends just as Sora approached.

Olette laughed, plopping down onto a bench, "So, what are you guys doing for break?"

"Just relaxing." Pence grinned. "And hanging with you guys!"

"Same." Hayner punched his shoulder. "I wanna go snowboarding!"

"Yeah, I'll be spending my break with Axel. He's got some company party this Friday that I'm going to, too. Oh, hey Sora. All done with your final?" Roxas asked.

"Yep." Sora nodded, "Hey, guys." he nodded to Roxas's three friends.

"Are you going with Riku to that party Friday?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah." Sora shrugged, "You going with Axel?"

Roxas grinned. "Yeah."

Hayner pretended to gag, laughing.

"Shut up! Where's Seifer? You guys making holiday plans?" Roxas asked, smirking.

Hayner blushed, shoving Roxas lightly. "Knock it off!"

Pence laughed, "All right, all right, you guys! Enough! I've gotta get going, anyway. I have to pack up my dorm. See you later!" He waved and left.

Sora chuckled, "Ready to go?" he asked his younger brother.

"Sure. I'll talk to you guys later. Send Seifer my love!" Roxas laughed.

Hayner flipped him off and the smaller blonde grinned and returned the gesture before linking arms with his older brother, questioning how his final went.

Hayner turned to his sister. "Should we head to the car, then?"

She smiled sneakily, "Don't you wanna try and find Seifer first?" she asked.

Hayner groaned. "Not you, too. We're just friends."

"I didn't say anything." Olette stuck her tongue out, "But honestly, you usually see him on campus, right? Well, you're not _going_ to be on campus for a month, remember."

"Fine." Hayner mumbled, pulling out his cell and texting Seifer, asking him if he was still on campus. A few minutes later, he got a reply. "I'll meet you by the car, okay?" Hayner said, waving to his sister and heading to the courtyard where Seifer was.

Olette giggled and headed towards the parking lot.

XXXX

Seifer was sitting on a bench when he noticed Hayner approaching. Standing up, he smirked, "Wanted to see me?" he teased lightly.

Hayner blushed. "So what? We're friends and with the semester over we won't see each other and I just thought I'd be nice and try to find you and... fuck." He forced himself to stop babbling.

Seifer laughed, "Take it easy." he said, "I was joking."

Hayner took a deep breath, still blushing but nodding. "So how were your finals?"

Seifer shrugged, "Not that bad. Yours?"

"Okay. I'm just glad they're over. Got any plans for the break?" Hayner asked, sitting down on the bench Seifer had been sitting on before.

"Well, actually." Seifer said, "The Box Depot has some stupid holiday party Friday, and Xemnas is literally requiring everyone to bring a guest. Dunno if Roxas mentioned it, since I know his boyfriend's gonna be there."

"Yeah, he's going with him. So's his brother, since his boyfriend also works there. Riku? You know him?" Hayner asked.

"Yeah, but he's almost never at work anyway." Seifer chuckled, "So, would you want to come with me?" he asked, "Don't really have anyone else to invite." he shrugged.

Hayner stared at him. "Are you... asking me out?"

Seifer shrugged, laughing, "Did you take it that way?"

"Yes. No. Argh, I don't know." Hayner said, blushing. "You just... have to bring someone right?"

Seifer nodded, amused.

"So... it's just a friend thing?" Hayner blew out a breath. "Okay. I'll go. What time is it, could you give me a ride?"

"It's at 8, and sure." Seifer nodded, "Thanks."

Hayner blushed. "Do I gotta dress up or something?"

Seifer laughed and shook his head, "Nah. It's just a casual thing. Xemnas just insists on it every year, and then vanishes a half hour in to fuck his secretary some more."

"Nice." Hayner grimaced. "Okay, well, my sister's waiting for me to head home. So, uh, I'll see you Friday? What time will you pick me up?" He stood.

"7:30?"

"Okay. See you then." Hayner smiled.

Seifer smiled back, "See you." he said, waving and heading towards his car, which was in a different lot than Hayner's.

XXXX

"I wasn't expecting so many people to be here." Roxas said, squeezing Axel's hand as he looked around the crowd of people.

Axel shrugged, "There actually are a lot of people that work at the Box Depot, we just don't usually do anything."

"Right." Roxas laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, there's Sora and Riku! C'mon." He tugged his boyfriend over to where his brother was.

"Hey, Axel. Roxas." Riku grinned.

Roxas smiled. "Hi guys."

Sora waved. "Hey guys."

Axel put his arm over Roxas's shoulders, attempting to relax.

"Having fun?" Roxas asked.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Sora made me come to this stupid thing."

"You skip work so often, you can't skip this too." Sora crossed his arms.

"I know, I know." Riku sighed, pulling Sora to his side and holding him close.

Roxas chuckled. "Well, I'm hungry. Axel, let's go get some food."

"Sounds good." Axel chuckled as well, "See you later."

They headed over to the buffet and Roxas made a plate, grabbing a drink. "Wanna mingle or sit?"

Axel shrugged. "Whichever you'd rather." He smiled.

"Let's sit, then." Roxas said, heading to an empty table and sitting, Axel sitting next to him.

"Roxas! Hey!" Hayner shouted, waving from across the room before turning to Seifer, saying something as they headed over.

Roxas grabbed Axel's hand, smiling at the two. "Hey, Hayner. Seifer."

"Hey." Seifer nodded at Roxas.

Axel nodded to Hayner, but said nothing else.

"Hi, Axel, Roxas. This party is a lot bigger than I expected!" Hayner said.

"Yeah, I was just saying that to Axel." Roxas said. "You guys just get here?"

"Yeah." Hayner blushed a little, glancing at Seifer out of the corners of his eyes. "Your brother here?"

Roxas nodded. "Somewhere with Riku."

"That's cool. So… what exactly do you do at these things?" Hayner asked, glancing at Axel and Seifer.

Seifer shrugged, "Usually hang around until Xemnas goes into the back with Elena and then escape and get drunk with Xigbar or Leon." Seifer shrugged.

Hayner glared at him. "Then why'd you need me to come?"

"Because this year Xemnas is being anal about the guest thing and Xigbar's busy with Kairi and the whole 'I got stabbed thing'. And something's wrong if Leon agreed to come with me." He chuckled.

"Oh. Well, okay." Hayner said.

Roxas laughed.

"What?" Hayner snapped.

Still snickering, Roxas waved a hand. "Nothing, nothing."

"Whatever. C'mon, Seif, I'm hungry." Hayner said, turning to Seifer expectantly.

Biting back a comment, Axel turned to Roxas, "Wanna try and find your brother?"

"Oh. Right. Sure!" Roxas said, standing and smiling at Seifer and Hayner. "We'll see you guys later."

Hayner rolled his eyes but smiled. "Sure." He followed Seifer away to find food.

Roxas pulled Axel to his feet, giving him a quick hug. "You okay?"

"Been better." Axel answered. "But dealing with it. Want to punch him."

"Hey, you promised. No violence. He behaved, too. Please. For me?" Roxas asked, concerned and studying Axel's face closely.

"I know. I'm not going to. Doesn't change the fact that I want to." Axel sighed.

"I know. And thank you. It means a lot to me. And to Hayner." Roxas smiled. "What'dya say we find a janitor's closet or something and go make out for the next hour or so?"

Axel smirked, "Sounds good." He said, leading Roxas away.

XXXX

Cloud nodded at Cid. "All right, I'm done for the day. That car's finished, but the bike just brought in needs an oil change before it can leave."

"You think I can't tell that?" Cid barked.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "See you tomorrow."

Cid snorted. "Sure you will. Have fun."

Cloud waved, chuckling as he left the shop, only mildly surprised to see Leon leaning against his car out front already waiting for him.

"Hey." He grinned as he walked over. "You're a little early."

Leon smiled, "Yeah, I know." he shrugged, giving him a kiss, "You ready?"

"Sure." Cloud said, kissing him again and moving in closer, wrapping his arms over the brunette's shoulders.

Leon smirked, "You know, in order to go anywhere, we need to get in the car." he murmured, even as he leaned in to kiss Cloud again.

"I know." Cloud said against his lips, returning immediately to the kissing.

"Will you two get the hell outta here already?" Cid demanded from the shop doors.

Cloud jumped before laughing. "All right, all right. We're going, Cid."

Leon chuckled, "Thanks again, Cid." he called, before kissing Cloud one more time and going around to the other side of the car to get in.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Thanks." Climbing into the car, he asked, "Why are we thanking Cid?"

Leon shrugged, "For the whole thing with Xigbar." he said, starting the car. "Have to thank _someone_ for dealing with him when he's not home."

Cloud laughed. "Right, right. So, where to now? Your place or food?"

"Food." Leon answered, pulling away from the curb, "I'm surprising you on where, though."

"Oh, a surprise, huh? Gonna finally tell me what you told Zexion?" Cloud teased.

"Maybe if you manage to convince me." Leon smirked.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Cloud murmured.

Leon stopped at a stoplight, turning to smirk at him, "Well, you'll just have to improvise." he teased.

Cloud licked his lips and grinned. "Maybe I will."

"Give me a little warning so I can pull over?" Leon chuckled, as he pulled through the green light.

"Leon, I told you; I won't have sex with you for the first time in your car." Cloud said, rolling his eyes.

"I wasn't implying sex this time either." Leon chuckled, "But if you were to try and kiss me while I was driving, I would have to pull over so we wouldn't crash through a field or something."

"You might not have been implying it, but maybe I was. And I would never endanger us by trying anything while you were driving. _Where_ are we going, anyway?" Cloud asked, not knowing of any restaurants near where they currently were.

"I told you, it's a surprise." Leon chuckled.

Cloud sighed but didn't push it. "So, do you want to come to Zack and Aerith's with me on Christmas Eve? Are you doing anything then?"

"I don't have plans on Christmas Eve, no. My roommates and I have Christmas day plans, though." Leon answered, "So, sure. Sounds good."

"Great." Cloud smiled. "And I actually have plans with my roommates, too, on Christmas."

Leon smiled, "Okay, good." he said, pulling onto the highway.

"Uh, Leon." Cloud said, looking at him. "We're on the highway. We're leaving town."

"Very astute." he teased.

"Where are we going? Just the next town over or further away? Because I have work tomorrow, and so do you..." Cloud said.

"Don't worry." Leon chuckled.

"Can I at least get a hint?" Cloud asked.

"Nope."

"Why not? Just a little hint?" Cloud asked, lightly placing his hand on Leon's arm.

"Nope. You're welcome to guess, though, if you'd really like." Leon chuckled.

"But if I guess right, will you really admit it?" Cloud asked.

"Probably not." Leon shrugged.

"So you'll lie to me if I guess." Cloud said.

"I was planning on not saying yes _or_ no, actually." Leon smiled.

Cloud sighed, staring out the window before glancing back at Leon. "Will you at least tell me how much longer until we get there?"

"Just a little under an hour." Leon chuckled.

The blonde frowned before nodding and leaning forward to turn on the radio.

XXXX

"A ski resort?" Cloud questioned, staring at the place as Leon parked.

"Yep." Leon nodded, shutting his car off.

"Wow. I gotta say I wasn't expecting this." Cloud grinned.

Leon chuckled, "Merry early Christmas." he smirked.

"Thank you." Cloud said, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend softly.

Leon smirked, "Come on. Let's go check in so we can get some food." he said.

"And then skiing. Will we have time for the hot tubs afterwards before we have to head home, do you think? I'm sure this place has them." Cloud contemplated as he climbed out of the car.

"Oh, we'll have plenty of time." Leon promised, getting out as well and popping the trunk open.

Cloud walked around to the trunk as well, frowning at the bags in there. "Leon... how long, exactly, _are_ we staying here?"

Leon just chuckled, pulling the bags out and shutting the trunk.

"Leon." Cloud grabbed his arm, stopping him from heading for the resort.

Leon glanced at him, a smirk playing on his face, "Yes?"

"...This isn't just a day trip, is it?" Cloud asked.

Leon smiled at him, "No, it isn't."

"What about work?" The blonde frowned.

"And _that_ is why I was thanking Cid." Leon chuckled.

"You seriously talked to my boss and got me off work so that we could take a mini vacation together right before Christmas?" Cloud asked, blown away.

"Pretty much." Leon nodded.

Cloud shook his head, smiling. "You are truly amazing, you know that?" He murmured, kissing Leon soundly before grabbing one of the bags from him. "I wonder how comfortable the beds are here..."

"I guess we'll have to find out." Leon chuckled, taking the other bag and Cloud's free hand.

"Yes, we will." Cloud smiled, walking with Leon into the resort and waiting patiently for him to check them in, getting their room keys. Together, they walked into the elevator, stepping out and finding their room. Cloud dropped his bag near the door, looking at the fancy room in wonder before grinning at the sight of the single queen-sized bed. Turning to face Leon, he took a step towards him.

"Funny, I don't really feel like skiing anymore. And I'm not exactly hungry, either..." He smirked.

Leon smirked back, "Well, you're welcome to persuade me to tell you what I told Zexion." he teased.

Cloud chuckled, "Oh, I think I will." Striding over to him, he kissed Leon, backing him into the closed door and pressing close.

XXXX

Cloud and Leon sexy time is so adorable, isn't it?

This is Jasmine. The ANs are getting all screwed up because Cami and I are so freaking busy it's ridiculous. Also, sorry I forgot to post on Saturday. Please don't hate me!

I was homeworking all weekend and forgot. :( Sorry!

But I'm posting now! You can thank Cami for reminding me when she was asking me questions about this universe last night mostly to test my awesome memory (which failed, resulting in us having to look up stuffs).

Cami: Leon. Backstory?

Me: Yup. In the scene on the couch with Cloud.

Cami: What chapter, when, what exactly?

Me: Ummm, before Halloween? Zack calls, I think, and then sexual innuendos happen...

Cami: *getting up and stealing my computer to look it up* Huh. You're right.

Me: I usually am.

There's an actual plot-related point to her line of questioning, but I can't tell you now as it'd spoil it later. Also, it's a wayyy in the future plot, so sorry you'll have to wait a bit!

Okay, back to homework before Cami kills me. See you (hopefully) this weekend! Reviews are lovely incentive! :D


	36. A Day For Friends

Jasmine here. I'm late posting. Again. *facepalm* Sorry!

To make up for it, it's Christmas Eve! (A total coincidence this is the next chapter.)

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Roxas yanked the door open, grinning at Hayner and Olette. "Hey, guys! Merry Christmas Eve! Everyone else is already here."

Hayner grinned. "I don't understand how Pence always beats us here when we live so close. Oh, well. Where do we put our bags of gifts?"

"Where ever you can find room! The house is a little crowded at the moment." Roxas laughed. "Sorry Seifer isn't here." He winked at Hayner's sputtering, grabbing Olette and pulling her inside, very nearly shutting the door in Hayner's face before he managed to jump inside, too.

Sora glanced over as they walked back in, from where he was having a conversation with Kairi, Namine, and Riku.

"Hey, guys." he nodded at his brother's friends.

"Hi, Sora." Hayner nodded, walking over to Pence and punching his arm. "Dude, how do you always get here so fast?"

"I don't run late, unlike you." Pence laughed.

"Sora! Focus! How is this supposed to work when Xigbar's shoulder's still fucked up?" Kairi snapped.

"To be honest, Kai, I don't want to know about the inner workings of your plan to have sex with Xigbar. Actually, I don't want to know anything about _any_ workings of your plan to have sex with Xigbar." Sora groaned.

Riku paled, agreeing with Sora and nodding, pulling him closer to him on the couch.

Namine blushed and lightly hit her sister. "Kairi! Not in front of the children!" She motioned towards Roxas and his friends.

"Hey!" Roxas protested.

"We're not kids!" Hayner added.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, but rolled her eyes, "You're not getting out of this. I have to figure this out by tomorrow!" she reminded Sora.

Sora sighed, burying his face in Riku's chest.

Riku put his chin on top of Sora's head, holding him tightly. "Kairi, I got you an anklet, it's the gold box in that bag over there." He gestured. "Why don't you look at that and drop this for now?"

"Great idea!" Namine said, smiling and nudging her sister towards the bag.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "Girls."

Roxas smirked. "I knew you were gay."

"What? I am not! Just for that, I'm not giving you the t-shirt I got you!" Hayner yelled.

"You got me a shirt? Lemme see!" Roxas demanded.

Kairi crawled over to the bag, pulling out the box, "Should I grab Nam's while I'm over here?" she asked.

"Sure, it's the silver box." Riku said, nodding at Kairi.

"I don't know why I should give you it, since you're being so mean." Hayner crossed him arms.

"C'mon, Hay! You know you love me." Roxas grinned.

"Yeah, yeah." Reaching into his bag, he threw a t-shirt at Roxas. "Merry Christmas."

Roxas held it up and laughed when he read the "I'm with stupid!" print, complete with an arrow. "Thanks! I'll remember to where it whenever I'm around you."

"Hey! I got it for you to wear with Axel!" Hayner protested as Roxas just continued to laugh.

"Ah, it's Christmas Eve, guys. Calm down, okay?" Pence asked, forcing his way between the two.

Olette snickered, "You guys are ridiculous." she said.

"Aww, this is really cute." Kairi grinned, admiring her new anklet, "Thanks, Riku." she smiled.

Namine opened the box Kairi had handed her. "Riku! It's beautiful!" She said, as she pulled out a bracelet and slipped it on. "Thank you."

"You're both welcome." Riku grinned, squeezing Sora.

Sora chuckled, "Kai, your present from me is over there." he gestured to a medium sized box that was next to Olette. Kairi walked over, picking it up and ripping the paper off to reveal a fish-shaped lamp.

"Seriously?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I thought of you." he teased.

Namine laughed. "We can put it in the living room, if you'd like." She teased her sister.

Roxas snickered, momentarily forgetting Hayner. "Sora, you really suck at picking out presents."

Riku chuckled. "I think it's a great present."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Kai loves it, she just won't show it."

Kairi looked at her lamp before looking at Sora, "I wonder if it would hurt a lot if I smacked you with this fish."

"Let's not take a trip to the hospital today if you try to find out, okay?" Riku said, moving his arms out as if to protect Sora.

Namine laughed. "She's only teasing. I think."

Roxas shook his head, moving to the table and grabbed a book, tossing it to Hayner. "Merry Christmas." He grinned.

Hayner glanced at the title before blushing. "You've got to be kidding me!" He yelled.

Pence snickered. "'How to Flirt: For Dummies', huh, Rox?"

Roxas laughed. "You'll need it to impress Seifer."

"For the last time, I do not like Seifer!" Hayner yelled.

"Sure, sure. I'm gonna grab a couple drinks." Roxas said, going to the kitchen.

Hayner sighed, plopping down next to Pence and Olette, staring at Riku and Sora, just noticing how close they were sitting and blushing lightly, averting his gaze to the hideous fish lamp.

"So, Sora." Kairi teased, putting the obnoxious lamp down and grinning at her best friend, "What'd you get Riku?" It was clear she was trying her hardest _not_ to burst out laughing.

Sora glared at her, "Something." he answered.

"Aww, come on, tell me!" Kairi pouted.

Roxas walked back in, balancing several drinks as well as a plate of Christmas cookies. "I almost forgot - I made cookies!" He said, setting everything down.

Namine grinned, taking one and eating it. "These are so good, Roxas! Kairi, why don't you eat one and leave Sora alone?"

"Why don't I eat one and _not_ leave Sora alone?" Kairi suggested.

Riku rolled his eyes, reaching forward and grabbing two cookies before they disappeared, handing one to Sora.

"Damn, Rox, you're going to make us all fat." Hayner teased.

Roxas stuck his tongue out at him. "No one's forcing you to eat them, you know."

Hayner laughed, shaking his head.

Kairi gave up on trying to get an answer out of Sora and sighed, munching on her cookie.

"All right, should I start heating up real food or are we watching corny Christmas movies or going out or what?" Roxas demanded.

Pence shrugged. "Whatever's fine."

Namine smiled. "We should go caroling!"

Hayner groaned. "No way am I doing that!"

"Why not?" Roxas asked.

"I'm not listening to you lot attempt to sing!" Hayner said.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You can't sing either." He pointed out.

"Exactly." Hayner said triumphantly.

Namine laughed. "All right, movies it is."

Sora chuckled, "Mind if I snatch you for a minute?" he whispered to his boyfriend, smiling.

Riku smiled back. "Sure."

Sora grabbed his hand, "We'll be right back." he said, pulling Riku up the stairs.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Roxas called after them, snickering.

"Why don't we find a movie?" Namine said, reaching for the TV remote.

XXXX

Sora shut his bedroom door behind him and Riku, "Sorry, Kairi's been laughing at me for days as I tried to figure out what to get you for Christmas."

Riku smiled and shook his head. "You didn't have to get me anything special. It's not like this is the first Christmas we got each other something."

Sora rolled his eyes, "It's kind of the first Christmas." he reminded him, smiling, "Here." he snatched a small box off his dresser and handed it to him.

"Thank you." Riku said, opening the box and pulling out a small key chain with a paopu fruit on it. "Oh, wow. Thanks, Sora!" He grinned, pulling his boyfriend close and hugging him.

Sora smiled, "No problem. You like it?" he asked, "I kind of went crazy-you can ask your sister."

Riku laughed. "I love it." He kissed Sora. "Thank you."

Sora grinned, leaning in to kiss Riku again.

Riku pulled back and smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box, handing it to Sora. "Merry Christmas."

Sora took it, opening the box carefully and taking out a key that was on a necklace chain.

Riku smiled at him when he looked up. "It's something you've had for a long time, now - the key to my heart. I love you, Sora."

Sora blushed lightly, looking up at Riku, "Well, I'd say if the amount of time I spend practically on top of you is any indication, I'm well on my way there." he said, before pulling Riku into a kiss.

Riku pulled him closer, kissing him back for a long few minutes before pulling away just enough to smile at him. "You make me so incredibly happy." He murmured, kissing him again.

Too distracted by kissing Riku, Sora just nodded, pulling Riku closer.

Riku closed his eyes, his hand wandering up into Sora's hair and gripping slightly, tilting his head and kissing him harder, his other hand keeping their bodies pressed close together. Finally, when he absolutely had to take a breath, he pulled back, sighing and opening his eyes to smile at the brunette. "We should probably head back down."

Only slightly breathless, Sora spoke, "Probably."

Riku kissed him again. "Thank you for the present - it's perfect."

"Thank _you_." Sora said, "For the present." he opened his hand, where he'd been holding the key and chain.

"You don't have to actually wear it if you don't want - I just thought you might like to have a chain for it." Riku explained.

"Of course I'm gonna wear it." Sora rolled his eyes.

Riku grinned. "Okay. Here." He took the key from Sora's hand, opening the chain's clasp and moving behind the brunette, securing it around his neck before wrapping his arms around his waist from behind. "Take good care of it." He murmured in his boyfriend's ear.

Sora blushed, leaning back to kiss Riku on the cheek.

Riku tilted his head in order to kiss Sora properly. "I love you." He whispered, letting go and moving to the brunette's side, offering his hand. "Shall we?"

Sora grinned at him and nodded, "Yeah."

Riku smiled, squeezing his hand before opening the door for him, following him out of his bedroom and down the stairs.

"Roxas! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" The sound of Kairi shrieking could be heard even from the bottom of the stairs, in the hallway outside the living room. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon! You know you wanna kiss it!" Roxas said, laughing.

"What are they doing?" Riku chuckled.

"I have no idea." Sora groaned, leaning into him, "Maybe we should go back upstairs."

"And leave Namine alone with Roxas and his friends?" Riku asked, shaking his head.

"Kairi's there?" Sora said, before sighing, "How about we grab Namine and Kairi, and go get a drink somewhere?"

"Roxas won't get offended if we do that, will he?" Riku asked.

"Doubt it." Sora answered.

"Then if that's what you want to do, we'll do it. Whatever you want." Riku grinned.

Sora chuckled, and Kairi shrieked again from inside the living room.

"Kiss it!" Roxas demanded, and laughter could be heard again.

Grabbing Sora's hand, Riku led him into the living room, stopping and laughing at the sight that greeted them. Roxas was chasing Kairi around the room with the fish lamp, demanding she kiss it.

Namine smiled at the pair when they entered, shouting over the excitement, "Have fun?"

Riku grinned at her and pulled Sora closer. "Of course."

Hayner blocked Kairi's escape and Roxas chuckled. "Kiss it!"

"I blame you entirely!" Kairi shouted at Sora before squeaking and ducking down, knocking Hayner's feet out from under him and fleeing.

Sora laughed, "I'll go find her. Meet you at my car?" he asked Riku.

Hayner cursed, jumping back up to his feet and glaring at the room in general.

"C'mon, Nami. Rox, we're going out for a bit. Think you and your friends will be okay?" Riku said.

Roxas nodded breathlessly, finally putting the lamp down. "Where you going?"

"Don't know yet." Riku shrugged.

"Why are we leaving, then?" Namine asked.

"Sora wanted to go out, just the four of us, and maybe get a drink." Riku explained.

"Who's your designated driver, then?" Roxas questioned.

"Probably me." Riku shrugged.

Roxas looked at him. "Huh. Okay then. Didn't realize my brother had you so whipped. Hayner, you should be taking notes!"

"What?" Hayner yelled.

Roxas grinned cheekily. "You know, for Seifer."

"Roxas! Shut the hell up!" Hayner yelled, tackling him to the floor.

Pence laughed. "Better go before they really get into it."

"Don't break anything!" Riku said, laughing, taking Namine's hand and leading her out to Sora's car.

Sora was waiting there with Kairi, who still looked annoyed, but much less so.

"Your brother's friend tackled him again." Riku informed Sora.

Sora chuckled, "Not surprised. Where are we going?" he asked.

Riku shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'm driving, so you pick."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Why are you driving?"

"Because I just promised your brother I'd be the designated driver." Riku explained.

Namine laughed. "Aren't they cute?" She asked her sister.

Kairi laughed as well, "Oh totally. Come on, we're going to the Chocolate Chocobo." Turning to her sister, she frowned, "Reno working tonight?"

"Yes, he is." Namine nodded.

"Perfect, then." Kairi grinned.

Namine smiled. "All right, let's go then."

Riku held his hand out to Sora. "Keys?"

Sora tossed them over, "Sure." he shrugged.

Riku caught them, opening Sora's door for him before walking around and climbing in as the girls got in the back. "Everybody ready?" He stared the car after getting a 'yes' from them, pulling out onto the road.

XXXX

Riku turned the car off, hopping out and walking around to Sora's side, opening his door for him as the girls climbed out as well.

Namine smiled at the pair as they linked hands, and the four of them headed inside of the Chocolate Chocobo. For it being Christmas Eve, it wasn't that deserted, but they managed to find four seats together at the bar.

Reno glanced over as they sat down and grinned when he saw who was suddenly at the other end of his bar. "Be right there!" he called, finishing up what he was doing before walking over.

Namine grinned at him. "Hi, Reno. Merry Christmas Eve!"

"Hey." Reno smiled back, leaning in and giving her a kiss, "What brings you guys here?"

"Whoa, enough of that!" Riku grimaced. "We're just here to hang out and get some drinks. What do you want, Sora?"

Reno rolled his eyes, "I'm supposed to ask that, you realize."

"Yeah, yeah, you have to get Nami's and Kairi's drink orders, too, so I'm just helping you out." Riku said.

Reno chuckled, "Yeah, right, of course you are. Wine, Nam?" he smiled.

Namine smiled back at him. "Yes, please. Thank you."

"No problem. Want anything, Kairi? Sora? Riku?"

"I'm okay." Kairi said, "I'm kind of here just to watch Namine and Sora get drunk." she shrugged.

Sora sent her a glare, "A beer would be good. And since Kai's not drinking, get Riku something."

Riku frowned. "But I promised Roxas..."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "And I'll stay sober. Go for it."

Riku sighed, giving in. "Then I'll take a scotch." He told his brother before putting an arm around Sora.

"Sure." Reno nodded, "Be right back."

Namine smiled, watching him move away before glancing around. "There's more people here than I thought."

Riku shrugged. "That might be because Tifa always closes for Christmas."

Kairi glanced around, "Hey, that's Tifa over there, right?" she asked, glancing over, "...Why is she waiting tables?"

"Just because she owns the place doesn't mean she sits around doing nothing." Riku said. "She's always helping out or filling in where needed."

Namine nodded. "She seems like a very good business woman."

Reno walked back over, holding Sora and Riku's drinks, "Who does?" he asked, putting them down before grabbing a glass and putting it down in front of Namine.

"Tifa." Namine answered, smiling.

"Oh." Reno said, pouring white wine into her glass, "Yeah, she is." he nodded.

Namine nodded, murmuring, "Thank you."

Riku took a sip of his drink. "Been busy tonight, Reno?"

"Yeah, surprisingly." Reno said, "It actually had just started to die down when you guys walked in."

"Oh. Hey, what time are we leaving for Aerith's tomorrow?" Riku asked.

Reno glanced over, "She wants us there kind of early, 'cause dad's coming into town." he answered, "Leave around noon?"

"Sure. You coming over or want us to pick you up? You, too, Nami." Riku asked Sora before glancing at Namine.

"If you could pick me up, that'd be great. That way, Kairi can have the car so she can visit Xigbar." Namine said.

"If you need the car, though, Xig can always pick me up." Kairi said, "But leaving the car would probably be better considering I just offered that without asking them." she added as an afterthought.

Sora chuckled, "How about I pick up Nam and we'll drive to your apartment and figure it out from there?" he suggested.

"That sounds good." Namine agreed.

"Okay. Get to our place just before noon, then, and we'll just all go together in one car to Aerith's." Riku said, nodding. "Heh, I just realized I'll be introducing you to my dad as my boyfriend." He grinned at Sora, pulling him closer for a quick kiss, mindful of Reno.

Sora chuckled. "Namine too, huh?" he glanced at Reno.

Reno nodded, "Have you met our dad before?" he asked Namine.

"No, I haven't." Namine answered.

"Hey, has Dad ever met _any_ of your girlfriends?" Riku asked his brother.

"Don't think so." Reno shook his head, "Maybe one back in high school, but I really don't think so."

"I don't think so either." Riku shook his head, winking at Namine. "Guess you're the first, Nami."

Namine laughed. "I hope he likes me, then."

"Of course he will." Riku grinned, hugging Sora.

"On that same note, I hope he likes _me._" Sora sighed.

Reno chuckled, kissing Namine (completely aware that his brother was sitting right there), "I've gotta get back to work, Tifa's giving me looks. I'll be around." he smiled, before walking away to talk to a customer.

Namine smiled after him, forcing herself to take a sip of wine in order to dispel the slight daze Reno's kisses always seemed to put her in.

"Hey, he'll love you." Riku smiled, kissing Sora and not feeling bad about it since his brother had left.

"Hope so." Sora said, leaning in to kiss Riku again.

XXXX

"Aerith!" Zack yelled, laughing and spinning her in a quick circle and interrupting her cleaning. "They should be here any minute!"

Aerith squeaked, suddenly dizzy, "Ah!" Finished spinning, she put a hand to her head to try and reorient herself, "Yes, I know. Can you grab the snacks from the kitchen? The ones on the counter, not the ones we bought for tomorrow."

"It's Christmas Eve!" Zack grinned, kissing her before dashing off into the kitchen. Grabbing the tray, he came bounding back. "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited." she giggled, "But I'm also trying to make sure we have everything for tomorrow."

"Everything'll be fine, it's just family! Don't worry." Zack said, putting the tray down and kissing her again, laughing when someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it!" He said as he walked over quickly.

Aerith laughed, sitting down on the couch.

Zack yanked the door open, grinning. "Cloudy! And Leon! Merry Christmas Eve!"

Cloud smiled at him, one hand holding a bag and the other interlaced with Leon's. "Hi, Zack."

Leon nodded, smiling as well.

"Hi you two!" Aerith smiled from the couch, waving.

"Well don't just stand there!" Zack said, pulling them inside and closing the door. "Make yourselves comfortable. What's in the bag, Cloudy?"

"Your present, of course." Cloud said, taking off his coat and moving into the living room, hugging Aerith. "Merry Christmas, Aerith. I'm sorry Zack's so hyper around the holidays, I hope we aren't driving you crazy."

Aerith laughed, hugging him back, "You're not driving me crazy at all. And if I wasn't used to Zack by now, there's something wrong." she smiled. "How're you? I know Leon stole you for a few days." she teased.

Cloud smiled. "I'm fine. We had a very... relaxing little vacation."

"Where'd you guys go? Was it fun?" Zack asked Leon, sitting next to him since Cloud was sitting with his wife.

"We went to a ski resort not too far out of town." Leon said.

"Ooh, that sounds fancy." Aerith smiled.

"From what I saw, it certainly was." Cloud grinned. "So do you guys have big plans for tomorrow?"

"Duh. It's _Christmas_!" Zack said. "Aerith's family is coming over."

"My dad's freaking out about me being pregnant and there was something about not wanting me traveling just in case..." Aerith paused, "So, we're having everyone over here instead of going out to his place."

Cloud laughed. "Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun tomorrow."

"What about you? Roommate stuffs?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded. "Yup. I hope it snows..."

"Me, too! Me, too!" Zack grinned excitedly.

Aerith smiled.

"I love the snow." Zack sighed.

Cloud chuckled. "I think we all know that, Zack."

Zack pretended to pout before turning back to Leon. "So what are you doing tomorrow for Christmas? Are you going over to Cloud's or to your family's?"

"I'm just spending the day with my roommates. I think Xigbar's girlfriend is coming over." Leon answered, "So, I'll mostly be spending the day resisting murder." he shrugged nonchalantly.

Zack looked at him funnily before glancing at Cloud and back. "Well, as long as you make Cloudy happy." He shrugged.

"Zack!" Cloud mildly protested, laughing a bit.

"What?" Zack asked, confused.

"Nothing, nothing. Do you want your present now?" Cloud asked.

"Oh boy, presents!" Zack said happily, grinning.

Aerith chuckled, grabbing a relatively small wrapped package off the stand next to the couch and glancing at Zack, "Do you have the other one?"

"Yeah! Be right back!" Zack said, jumping up and dashing into the bedroom, bounding back with a small wrapped package, sitting on Aerith's other side.

Cloud moved over next to Leon to make room, smiling at him before pulling the wrapped present out of the bag and handing it to Aerith.

"It's for both of you." The blonde said, smiling as Zack eagerly tore into it, ripping the wrapping.

"I don't remember a lot about the first few foster homes I was in, but I remember one with this really nice lady when I was five or six. She used to read to me every night before I went to sleep from this book and she always made me feel wanted. I loved this book. So I thought you might want it to someday read to your baby..." Cloud smiled, leaning in to Leon.

"Cloudy." Zack smiled. "We definitely will. Maybe this baby's Uncle Cloud could read it, too."

Aerith squealed and hugged the blonde, "Thank you, Cloud."

Cloud hugged her back automatically. "Uncle?" He asked, a little shocked.

"Of course!" Zack grinned.

Aerith grinned and nodded.

"Oh wow." Cloud let out a breath, laughing a little. "I'm going to be an uncle!" He said to Leon, awed.

Leon chuckled, putting an arm over Cloud's shoulders, and smiled at him.

"Thank you." Cloud said sincerely, smiling at the couple.

"Silly Cloudy." Zack chuckled, handing him his present. "Merry Christmas! It's from both of us, too. Go on, open it, open it!"

Laughing, Cloud shook his head, carefully opening the wrapping. "Oh..." He breathed, pulling out the digital camera and SD card. "This is way too much!"

"No way! Now you can preserve your memories with your family!" Zack said firmly.

Aerith smiled.

"Thank you." Cloud grinned, moving to hug them both.

"You're welcome!" Zack smiled. "Aerith, give Leon his!"

Leon blinked, "What? You guys didn't have to get me anything." he said.

"Of course we did." Aerith smiled, passing over the small package, "And, er... I'm sorry in advance."

Blinking again, Leon opened the package.

"The restaurant card was Aerith's idea but the other one is from me! It's so you can make Cloudy happy, okay?" Zack said with a wink.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, leaning over to see and blushing. "A gift card to a sex shop?" Zack!"

"Merry Christmas, Leon!" Zack snickered.

Aerith rubbed her head, feigning a headache and gave Leon an apologetic look, but he just chuckled, "I don't know, I'm not sure I need it." he glanced at Cloud.

Cloud blushed lightly. "No, you don't." He murmured.

Zack laughed loudly. "I knew you guys were doing it! Well, now you can spice it up a little!"

Cloud's blush deepened. "Zack!" He protested.

"Okay, okay. But seriously, use it." He winked.

Leon chuckled, squeezing Cloud's shoulders, "I've got something for you two, but I can't for the life of me figure out _how_ I would wrap it. Cloud's roommates that work with me already know, but basically, anything you two need from the store to build or remodel a nursery, just come by and we'll set you up." he smiled.

Aerith's eyes widened, "...Store?" she asked.

"I own The Hardware Store Place." Leon explained, "Anything you guys need," he smiled.

"Whoa, really?" Zack asked, bouncing in his seat. "Aerith! Anything we want! We can make a really awesome nursery! Wow, Leon!" He jumped across Aerith and Cloud in order to hug him. "You are super awesome!"

Cloud laughed. "Why do you think I love him?"

Leon squeezed Cloud again, "It was Cloud's idea, though." he added.

"But you didn't have to agree. It was just an offhand comment." Cloud protested.

Zack laughed. "You two are so perfect for each other. Thank you! This is one of the best Christmas' ever!"

Cloud smiled and leaned in to Leon.

Zack finally pulled back and hugged Aerith close. "Aerith! A nursery!" He said excitedly.

Aerith, still a little in shock, leaned into him, "Leon, thank you so much."

Zack grinned, giving her a kiss. "I told you I liked him."

Cloud laughed, smiling at Aerith. "Thank you both for the camera and the cards and for having us over."

"Of course!" Aerith said, smiling back.

"Oh! Have some food! Aerith's been super busy getting ready for today and tomorrow, and as official taste-tester, I can promise everything is delicious!" Zack said happily.

Aerith blushed and shoved him lightly, but smiled.

Cloud grinned, grabbing something off the tray and popping it into his mouth. Swallowing, his grin widened. "You're right, Zack, it's delicious! Try some, Leon."

"Of course I was right, I'm always right!" Zack declared.

Leon took something off the tray as well and took a bite, smiling at Aerith, "It is very good."

Aerith smiled softly, "Thank you." she said to the couple.

"I'll get drinks!" Zack said, standing and heading into the kitchen. He came running back in, drinks forgotten. "It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing!" He yelled happily.

Cloud chuckled. "I'm glad, I hope it stays for Christmas tomorrow."

"C'mon, we gotta go out it in!" Zack said, pulling Aerith to her feet. "It's Christmas Eve snow! It's special!"

Aerith wobbled on her feet a bit, surprised at the sudden movement, but smiled, "Sure." she glanced at Cloud and Leon, "Are you two coming?"

Cloud looked at Leon. "Are you okay with that?"

"C'mon, c'mon, hurry up! We don't want to miss it!" Zack said, helping Aerith into her coat and throwing his own on.

"Sure." Leon nodded.

Aerith chuckled, zipping up her coat.

Cloud smiled, kissing him quickly before standing and catching the coats Zack threw at him. "We'll meet you out there, Cloudy!" Zack yelled, pulling a laughing Aerith out the door.

Cloud shook his head, handing Leon his coat and pulling on his own. "I love being around Zack this time of year. He's always so happy."

Leon chuckled, "I see what you mean." he said, giving Cloud a kiss as he finished pulling his coat on.

Cloud sighed and smiled. "Thanks for everything, Leon. I couldn't have asked for a better first Christmas with you."

Leon smiled back, "Come on, let's go catch up with Zack and Aerith."

XXXX

Aren't they all so freakin' adorable?

Hope you enjoyed! Review please! :D


	37. CHRISTMAS!

Cloud walked out of his room with several presents, heading to the living room where Demyx, Zexion, and Larxene were already seated. "Rox, Ax, c'mere for a minute. I wanna give out my presents now before things get crazy."

He took a seat, handing Demyx and Zexion each a wrapped box the same size and Larxene a smaller wrapped box.

Roxas and Axel walked in, sitting down. "Cookies will be done soon." Roxas said.

"Great. Here. Merry Christmas, then. Well, open them!" Cloud said, handing Axel and Roxas each a box before leaning back and waiting for their reactions.

Larxene grinned, tearing into hers and smirking very wickedly when her eyes fell on the silly string inside the box. "Aww, Cloudy, you shouldn't have, 'cause now you know I'm gonna kill Axel with this."

Cloud chuckled. "I figured you'd like it."

"Oh, hey, I don't have this edition yet!" Roxas said, grinning at his cookbook. "Thanks, Cloud."

Zexion blinked at the unwrapped box in his lap, looking up at Cloud curiously. "I've never been ice skating."

"Exactly. I thought you and Dem would want to go together." Cloud said.

"Oh." Zexion said, noticing Demyx also got ice skates.

Demyx grinned, "That sounds like fun, I've never been either." he said, "Thanks, Cloud!"

"You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it." Cloud grinned.

Axel laughed as he lifted his new finger paints out of his package, "Are you implying you want me to paint you something?" he asked, jokingly.

"Well, I figured the fridge is looking a little bare." Cloud teased, grinning at him. "I'm sure you can think of something."

Axel grinned, "Will do, but we have to save space up there for Demyx's school work."

"Didn't you get a report card before this winter break?" Zexion asked Demyx suddenly.

"Did you?" Larxene asked, grinning, "Come on, fridge it is!"

A little embarrassed, Demyx shook his head, "I'll get it later."

"But I'm sure you did well." Zexion said. "They just want to hang it up to show they care in their own way. They always were putting up my stuff, too. You may as well get used to it."

"He's right, you know. You're one of us, now." Cloud smiled.

Demyx smiled, "Thanks..." he said.

Zexion stood up. "All right, since we are exchanging presents now... I shall be right back." He disappeared into his room, returning a moment later with two bags.  
Resuming his seat next to Demyx, he withdrew a slim box first, handing it to Axel. He gave a larger box to Roxas, a small box to Cloud, an envelope to Larxene, and lastly a small box to Demyx. "Merry Christmas." He said softly, smiling.

Axel opened his box, immediately breaking into a grin, "Zexion, these are awesome!" He said, pulling one of the paintbrushes out of the box, "Engraved, too?"

Zexion nodded. "I'm glad you like them."

Roxas ripped off the wrapping. "Oh, wow, sterling knives!"

"They are also engraved." Zexion said.

Roxas stared at him before quickly hugging him. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Zexion blushed lightly, hugging him back. "You're welcome."

Larxene grinned as she read the ticket in her hand, "Really?" she asked, "Zexion, you're awesome." she hopped over, giving him a hug.

"I thought you'd like a day to relax." Zexion smiled, hugging her back.

Cloud frowned at the keys in the box. "Zex... what do these go to?"

"Oh, right. We need to go outside for your's and Demyx's presents." Zexion said, standing up and going to get his coat.

"All right..." Cloud said, as he and everyone else hurriedly grabbed their coats before following Zex outside.

"A snowmobile? Zexion!" Cloud grinned, rushing over to the machine, petting it lovingly. "This is amazing! Thank you!"

Zexion grinned. "You're welcome."

Demyx stared at his present, wide-eyed and completely sure he was dreaming. "Zex..."

Zexion fidgeted a bit. "You needed your own way to school and work without having to rely on us. And, well, everyone wants their own car, right?" He glanced at the blonde nervously.

"Zex, this is... you didn't have to get me a car!" Demyx said, still pretty much in shock.

"But I wanted to! Don't you... like it?" Zexion asked. "I can return it and you can pick out your own if it's the model or color you don't like - anything you want."

Demyx pounced on him, giving up, "Zexion, it's amazing." he said, kissing him without thinking.

Zexion blushed bright red, eyes wide, and Cloud coughed into his hand from his seat on his new snowmobile, caught between being slightly weirded out and amused. Zex pulled back, still blushing and now looking at his roommates slightly anxiously.

Larxene grinned at them, "Awwwww!" she teased.

Axel chuckled, trying to push back the memories of the talk.

"Ah, um..." Zexion stammered, face still red.

Roxas laughed, leaning in to Axel. "Relax, Zex. Everyone was kinda of expecting that to happen eventually, anyway. You two are cute together."

Axel wrapped his arms around Roxas and grinned in agreement.

"Oh." Zexion said, blush fading a bit. Shyly, he reached out for Demyx's hand, smiling at him.

Demyx squeezed his hand and smiled, "Wanna go back inside and finish presents?" he asked, still embarrassed but significantly less so now than before.

"The cookies!" Roxas yelled, darting inside.

Cloud laughed, following everyone else back inside. "Well?" He called into the kitchen.

Roxas appeared with a tray of cookies, grinning. "They're fine."

Axel smiled, giving Roxas a kiss, "Come on, put 'em down so I can give you your present." he whispered.

"Oh, wait, I wanted to go first!" Roxas smiled, putting the cookies down in the living room for the others before dragging his boyfriend off into his room, picking up the wrapped present on his dresser. "Merry Christmas, Axel."

Axel took it, ripping off the paper.

Roxas smirked. "Now you can paint me..." He said, referring to the edible body paint in Axel's hands.

Axel smirked, leaning in and giving Roxas a kiss. As he pulled back, he said, "Thanks, Roxas. Merry Christmas."

Roxas smiled. "Love you." He murmured.

"Love you too." Axel smiled back.

Roxas leaned up to kiss him again.

Axel leaned down, letting him do so, before pulling back and grabbing Roxas's hand, "Come on, your present's in the living room."

Roxas allowed Axel to pull him back into the living room.

"I thought you two had disappeared for the day." Cloud chuckled.

"Nah, not yet." Axel chuckled as well, grabbing a small box before pulling Roxas down onto his lap in a chair and handing it to him.

"The cookies are delicious, by the way." Cloud remarked.

"Yes, thank you Roxas." Zexion added.

Roxas smiled. "You're welcome." He took the box Axel offered him, returning his attention to his boyfriend, opening it quickly.

"Hey, isn't this...?" Roxas said, looking at the pendant in the box before glancing up at Axel's neck, confirming he wasn't wearing his usual chain.

Axel smiled, "Yeah. I wanted you to have it." he said.

"But you always wear it. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen you without it on. It's too special, I can't." Roxas said, trying to give it back.

Axel chuckled, pulling Roxas closer, "You're special too. I want you to have it."

Roxas looked up at him, gaze softening. "Axel..." He murmured, smiling softly before nodding. "Thank you." He took the pendant out of the box, slipping it on and feeling it settle against his breastbone.

"Aww, you would be the sap and give him Philip's pendant." Larxene rolled her eyes.

Axel gave her a look, and she laughed.

"Philip?" Roxas questioned, brow furrowing.

"Remember when I told you about Philip and Seifer?" Axel asked, arms tightening slightly.

Roxas rubbed his hand up and down Axel's arm soothingly. "Yeah. I take it it's the same Philip?"

"Yeah. He, er, gave me that the last time I saw him." Axel said.

"Oh," Roxas said, not quite sure how to react to that.

Axel squeezed him, "Take care of it for me."

Roxas smiled at him. "I will." He kissed him softly.

Axel smiled into the kiss.

XXXX

"Do you think they'll get here soon?" Riku asked, putting the last of the presents into bags to cart over to Aerith and Zack's.

"Nam sent me a message a minute ago saying she and Sora just left." Reno answered, lounging against the couch, not helping.

"Did you get the wine Aerith asked us to bring?" Riku asked.

"Yep." Reno nodded, "It's in the trunk already, since Tifa wrapped it up all nice and stuff." he shrugged.

"Okay. Then I guess that's everything." Riku said, sitting down next to his brother. "Honestly, how do you think Dad's going to take meeting Sora and Namine and seeing his pregnant daughter?"

"Well, the whole reason this is even happening at Ri's is because Dad's already freaking out over her being pregnant, but I really don't think that Namine and Sora are going to phase him." he shrugged.

Riku arched an eyebrow. "You've never introduced a girlfriend to Dad and I don't even know if he knows I'm gay and you're saying it won't phase him?"

"Well, if he managed to not throw Zack off a bridge when he met _him_ as Ri's boyfriend... nah, I think he'll be fine with it." Reno shrugged.

"Okay. But I'm blaming you if things go poorly." Riku said, just as someone knocked on the door. He glanced at his brother. "Why don't you get that since I'm the one who packed up everything?"

Reno stuck his tongue out but got up anyway, walking over to the door and opening it.

Namine smiled, holding a large bag. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." Reno smiled back, pulling her close to give her a kiss.

Sora slipped past Namine and Reno and grinned at Riku.

"Hey." Riku grinned, standing up and pulling the brunette close. "Merry Christmas." He gave him a quick kiss.

Namine laughed breathlessly, letting Reno pull her into the warm apartment, shivering suddenly from the temperature change and smiling up at him.

Reno grinned. "So, everyone ready to go?"

"Yes, we don't want to be late." Namine said.

Riku nodded, grabbing the bag off the floor and taking Sora's hand in the other. "Let's go."

XXXX

The doorbell rang and Aerith, who was cooking (a little like a maniac), squeaked before calling out, "Zack! Dad! Can one of you get that?"

Zack laughed. "Relax, baby, everything's gonna go perfectly fine." He stood and opened the door, grinning. "Hi guys! Merry Christmas! Did you see the snow? Come on in!"

"Hi, Zack." Namine smiled warmly at him, stepping inside with Reno, Riku and Sora right behind them.

"Hey." Reno waved, smiling, "Where's Ri? Dad here yet?" he asked.

"I'M IN THE KITCHEN!" Aerith shouted, "RENO, DO YOU HAVE THAT WINE?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, "She all right?"

"She's fine, just a little bit stressed." Zack said. "You should probably give her the wine, like now, though."

"Pregnancy hormones?" Riku guessed.

Zack nodded.

"Well, you know we're here for both of you, right?" Riku asked, squeezing Sora's hand.

"Yup. Thanks, though." Zack grinned. "Namine, why don't you go to the kitchen with Reno? Riku, Sora, and I will be in the living room with Dad."

Reno squeezed Namine's shoulders, and nodded, "Meet you in there once Ri has the wine." he said, steering her into the kitchen.

Riku smiled at Sora, following Zack into the living room. "Hey, Dad. Merry Christmas." He said, hugging the man.

Their dad grinned, "Merry Christmas. How've you been?" he asked, hugging Riku back and then smiling.

"I've been good, Dad. How about you?" Riku asked, pulling back and grinning.

Zack sat down, smiling at Sora and trying to get him to look a little less tense.

He shrugged, "Can't complain, though it's been weird not having you three kids running around my house lately." he laughed, "Then again, I've said that every year since Aerith moved out." Glancing at Sora, he spoke again, "So, who's this?"

"Right, ah..." Riku stepped back, grabbing Sora's hand and pulling him forward. "Dad, this is Sora. Sora, this is my Dad. Dad, Sora's my... boyfriend."

Riku's dad's gaze shifted from his son to the brunette, who shifted awkwardly, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

He nodded, "Nice to meet you too. About time, Riku." he rolled his eyes.

From the kitchen, Reno shouted, "I TOLD YOU HE WOULDN'T FREAK OUT!"

Zack laughed at Riku's expression. "Why don't you guys sit down?"

Staring at his dad, Riku pulled Sora onto the couch. "You're... okay with this?" He asked.

"Of course." His dad laughed, "You think I didn't figure it out before now?"

Sora smiled, "My mom kind of reacted the same way."

"Except I'm sure your mom actually figured it out, where as Reno told Dad that Riku was gay five years ago." Aerith responded from the kitchen doorway.

"What?" Riku yelled. "Reno, I told you not to tell anyone!"

Zack covered his mouth with his hand, trying very hard not to laugh at his flustered brother-in-law.

"It was an accident!" Reno responded, poking his head out from around his pregnant sister, "Aw, come on, it made this little talk easier, didn't it?"

Riku glared at him. "I trusted you! And you let me freak out all morning for nothing since you already knew Dad knew!"

"Hey, I _told_ you it wouldn't phase him." Reno shrugged, "You just didn't believe me."

Their dad chuckled, "Riku, he didn't exactly _tell_ me, so much as not remember where he was having phone conversations with you."

Riku sighed. "Really, Reno?"

Zack grinned. "Well, now that that's over with..." He turned to Reno. "Where're you hiding the blonde cutie?"

"Hmm?" Their dad glanced over at Reno again, "Blonde cutie? Are you gay too, Reno?"

"No." Reno glared at his father, "Hey, Nam, c'mere." he gestured his girlfriend over.

Namine smiled, walking over to Reno and taking his hand. "Aerith, I set the burner to low but you might want to check on it..."

"Right!" Aerith said, dashing back into the kitchen.

Reno chuckled, "Dad, this is Namine, my girlfriend, Namine, this is my dad."

"It's very nice to meet you! You have a wonderful family." Namine said.

Zack elbowed Riku. "She's a charmer, all right."

Riku chuckled, tension finally fading. "Yeah, she's great." He put his arm over Sora, muttering an apology into his ear.

"It's nice to meet you too, Namine." Their dad nodded, smiling at her.

Sora chuckled softly, leaning into Riku.

"I'd better help Aerith. Excuse me." Namine smiled at Reno before returning to the kitchen.

"Why don't you come sit down, Reno? We can watch Christmas specials until the food's ready." Zack said with a grin.

Reno shrugged, "Sure." he said, knowing the girls would call if they needed him for anything (not that he was good at cooking in any sense of the word).

"Oh, before Namine gets back, Merry Christmas Reno!" Zack said, pulling a wrapped box out from under the couch and handing it to the redhead.

Reno raised an eyebrow but opened the box, before laughing and shutting it so the rest of the assembled people in the room wouldn't see. "Really, Zack?" he asked.

"Really Zack what?" Aerith asked, leading Namine back into the room, "The food's just cooling off, it'll be ready to serve in five minutes." her eyes fell on the package in her brother's hands, and then she sighed, "Oh. Really, Zack that." Putting her hand on Namine's shoulder, she spoke again, "Want to come see, er... what I got Reno for Christmas?"

"Hey, what is it?" Riku asked, trying to see what the box was.

"What's what?" Namine asked, looking at Reno curiously.

"Er, I don't-" Aerith hesitated, before sending her husband a glare, even though she knew he had done exactly what she'd asked and it was _her_ fault they were in this situation.

"My Christmas present to Reno. It's a gag." Zack explained, grinning.

"C'mon, now you _have_to show us!" Riku demanded.

Aerith sent Riku a warning look, trying to get across to him that this was a bad idea.

Riku frowned, not understanding why his sister was glaring at him and attributing it to pregnancy hormones.

"Well, what is it, Reno?" Namine asked.

Reno sighed and passed the package to Riku as an explanation, and just smiled at Namine, standing up long enough to grab her and pull her down onto his lap (to hopefully distract her).

Riku lifted up the edge of the wrapping so he and Sora could see, blushing a little as he slammed it back down. "God Zack, I really didn't need _that_mental image!"

"Sorry, sorry, but they'll need it eventually!" Zack snickered.

Namine shifted a little on Reno's lap, slightly worried that maybe she shouldn't be sitting on him in front of his dad, before asking, "Need what?"

Aerith sighed, giving up and plopping down onto the couch next to her father and husband.

"Trust me, Nami, you're better off not knowing." Riku said, still slightly pink.

Namine frowned, looking at Reno. "Will someone just tell me already?"

"I think you might want to trust Riku on this one." he hesitated.

Namine sighed. "Please just tell me. It can't possibly be that bad."

"Yes, it can." Riku muttered, leaning closer to Sora.

Zack laughed.

Reno sighed, grabbing the package back from Riku and handing it to Namine, "Go ahead, but don't get mad at me afterwards."

"Why would I get mad at you?" Namine asked, confused, before removing the loose wrapping paper. "Oh..." She blushed brightly, dropping the box onto the floor in her shock. "Zack, you bought Reno those for _Christmas_?"

"It's all in good fun, I promise." Zack said.

Namine blushed brighter, a hand rising to her mouth. "Oh my." She mumbled.

Reno, who couldn't reach the package on the floor with Namine on his lap, settled for wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to him.

Namine hid her burning face in his chest, extremely embarrassed, especially because his father was sitting less than two feet away.

Riku kicked the box under the couch with a cough. "When's the food gonna be done, Aerith?" He asked a bit desperately, trying to get the attention away from his best friend.

Aerith glanced at the clock in the room, "Oh, any minute now." she said, hopping up, "Lemme go check it."

"Heya, Dad, why don't you and me go help her set the table and what not?" Zack said, standing and motioning to the kitchen.

"Sure." he nodded, standing up as well.

As soon as the two were gone, Riku stared worriedly at Namine's back. "Nami?" He said quietly.

"Are they gone?" Was the muffled response.

"Yeah." Riku answered.

The blonde pulled back from Reno's chest. "I'm so embarrassed." She said, placing her hands on her flaming cheeks.

Reno just rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Hey, it's just Zack being Zack." Riku shrugged. "And don't worry about Dad, he's not delusional - he knows Reno's had sex."

Namine glanced at Reno. "But... what a horrible first impression! I'm sorry, Reno."

Reno chuckled, "Don't worry about it, Namine." he assured her, "I don't think he even saw what was in there anyway."

Namine sighed, the color finally starting to fade from her cheeks. "I don't know if I can look at Zack now."  
"You know Zack, he's an overgrown kid. He'll be on the next five topics already before they call us for food, trust me." Riku said with a smile.

Reno just chuckled again.

Namine sighed again. "All right. Don't you think I should maybe not be sitting on you like this, though? It feels rude, somehow."

"Eh, Dad doesn't care." Reno shrugged, "You can squeeze in next to me if you'd rather, though."

"Okay." Namine said, sliding off his lap and settling next to him.

"Food's ready!" Zack said from the doorway. They all made their way to the table, but Zack stopped Namine. "Sorry, Namine. Hope you're not mad at me."

Namine smiled at him softly. "No, I'm not mad, Zack."

"Good!" Zack grinned, spinning her in a quick circle before taking his seat along with everyone else.

XXXX

Xigbar grinned, plopping onto the couch and pulling Kairi down with him. "Thanks for cooking, Leon. It was good."

Leon shrugged, "No big deal," he said, sitting down in one of the chairs.

Kairi snuggled up to Xigbar, quite comfortable.

Picking up one of the boxes on the table next to him, Xigbar threw it at Leon. "Merry Christmas and all that. Go to town with it, I'm sure Seifer will just love it."

Seifer gave Xigbar a look, "What did you do?"

Leon opened the package, raising an eyebrow at the contents. "A joke kit?"

Xigbar snickered. "Yup. Have fun pranking Seifer!" Grabbing the other box, he threw it at Seifer. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you." He teased, putting his arm around Kairi.

Seifer opened the package, before glancing at Xigbar, confused, "A magic kit. Did you shop at a store that only sold kits for things?"

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "You try finding something decent. Anyways, I figured you'd appreciate it since you must have some kind of magical tricks up your sleeves to have survived this long."

Seifer gave him a look, deciding _not_ to throw the kit at him on Christmas.

"Saved the best for last, of course." Xigbar said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket and handing it to Kairi. "Merry Christmas, Red," he smiled at her.

Kairi smiled back, before opening the envelope.

Xigbar watched her open it, hoping she'd like what she found.

"Plane tickets?" she blinked, glancing at him.

"Good for a year, to anywhere the airline goes," Xigbar nodded.

"Xigbar, these are..." she paused, "Are you sure?"

"Sass, of course I'm sure. You and Namine could take a trip somewhere or we could go wherever - use them for whatever you want," Xigbar kissed her, pulling back and smiling. "Love ya, Red."

Kairi practically pounced on him, kissing him again. Leon coughed.

"All right, I'm escaping. I'll drop your presents by your doors later," he rolled his eyes, standing up.

Xigbar ignored Leon and Seifer, figuring he'd apologize later for making out on the couch in front of them. Right now, he just focused on pulling Kairi closer.

Seifer rolled his eyes and slipped out as well.

Kairi smiled, puling away from Xigbar, "Shouldn't we move to your room or something?" she chuckled.

Xigbar chuckled. "Little late for that." Nevertheless, he stood, offering his hand to Kairi.

Kairi smiled, taking his hand.

Xigbar pulled her to her feet, leading her into his bedroom and closing the door behind them. Quickly sitting on the edge of his bed, he reached for her. "Now, where were we?"

Kairi smirked, quickly leaning in and climbing on top of him, kissing him.

Xigbar winced a little, shifting her slightly. "Careful," he murmured, taking some pressure off his wounded shoulder.

"Sorry," Kairi frowned, shifting so she was sitting next to him, "Better?"

Xigbar merely nodded, reaching out with his good arm to pull her closer so he could kiss her again.

Kairi leaned in, kissing him, being more careful this time.

Xigbar sighed, letting his hand trail up into her hair as they kissed, not wanting the moment to end.

Kairi pulled back, "You okay?" she asked softly.

Xigbar rolled his eyes. "I was, until you pulled back again. Red, I'm fine. Outta the sling and everything. You just happened to press right on the very spot the knife went through. Rotten luck, that's all."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "You're only out of the sling because you were threatening to castrate Leon if he didn't take it off."

"Hey, the doctor said I could take it off when it stopped hurting. It stopped - I can't help it none of you believe me." Xigbar protested. "I'm fine, Red. Promise."

Kairi rolled her eyes, leaning in and kissing him again before pulling back, "All right, prove it." she smirked.

Xigbar laughed. "You're worrying over nothing, Sass. Fine, how do I prove to you I'm all right?"

"Well, you'll have to figure that one out yourself." Kairi smiled, leaning in and kissing him again.

Xigbar kissed her back before breaking off and standing up. "Stand up a minute."

Kairi blinked, but did so.

Xigbar grabbed her waist and winked at her before slowly lifting her up in the air. "Told you... I'm fine."

Kairi squeaked, "Xigbar!"

Laughing, he lowered her to her feet again. "I was helping Cid out a lot while Cloud was gone - trust me, my shoulder's fine. Did I prove it to ya, Red?"

Kairi rolled her eyes, "You're going to cripple yourself permanently."

Xigbar threw his hands up in frustration. "Have a little faith in me, would you? It's been weeks."

Kairi smiled at him, "Of course I have faith in you. But you _do_ need to be careful, regardless."

Xigbar sighed. "I am being careful. I'm not stupid or masochistic, I know when my body's hurt and when it's not."

Kairi frowned, "I didn't mean to make you angry."

"Hey." Xigbar pulled her close, hugging her. "I'm not mad at you, Red. I'm just getting a little tired of people telling me to take it easy when I'm fine. I've gotten the okay of the doctor and everything, so relax, okay? I'm not mad at you, and I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Sass."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay." she giggled, before leaning up and kissing him again.

Xigbar pulled her to the bed, sitting down and helping her settle on his lap. "This is a much better way to spend our time, I agree." He grinned cheekily.

Kairi laughed.

"You're beautiful when you laugh." Xigbar said, cupping her face. "I mean, you're always beautiful, Sass, but you shine when you laugh."

Kairi blushed lightly.

Xigbar chuckled. "Then again, I kinda love seeing you blushing at me, too."

Kairi swatted his good shoulder lightly, "Xigbar."

"Yes, Kairi?" Xigbar grinned.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Come here." she chuckled, kissing him.

Xigbar smirked into the kiss, pulling her closer. He slipped his good arm behind himself to hold them up, as they were in danger of toppling backwards onto his bed.

Kairi carefully readjusted herself, taking care not to hurt his shoulder.

Unfortunately, her movements overbalanced them and Xigbar's arm slipped, causing the pair to fall backwards onto the bed, Kairi sprawled on top of Xigbar.

Kairi giggled, not complaining.

"Oops. Sorry, Red." Xigbar grinned, attempting to sit them back up.

Kairi pushed him back down, "I'm not complaining," she chuckled, smiling at him.

Xigbar turned slightly, shifting Kairi onto her side next to him, slipping his arm around her and holding her to his side, smiling. He lightly ran his hand up and down her arm, "This okay?"

Kairi smiled and nodded.

"So what time you need to head back home, Red?" Xigbar asked.

"I have a chronically absent father." Kairi reminded him, "I don't."

"Chronically absent, huh? What about your mom?" Xigbar asked.

"Never met her." Kairi shrugged.

"Ah. Is she...?" Xigbar trailed off, not wanting to push the topic if it would upset Kairi.

Kairi nodded, "Complications with having twins." she explained.

"I'm sorry." Xigbar murmured, tightening his hold a bit.

Kairi shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I never knew her." Smiling at him, she spoke, "So, what about you? Got a tragic backstory?"

"Not really. Dad died when I was young, Mom moved away to be closer to her sister and I moved in here with Leon and Seifer." Xigbar said.

Kairi nodded. After a pause, she spoke, "What was your mom like?" she asked, smiling.

"She's all right, I guess. Losing Dad was hard on her but she was there when I needed her." Xigbar shrugged, slightly uncomfortable.

Kairi nodded, before changing the subject, "Oh, before I forget." she said, reaching into the back pocket of her jeans and pulling out a small package, handing it over.

Xigbar took it, ripping it open. "A... pocket knife?"

Kairi smiled at him, "Next time, stab him back."

"There won't be a next time." Xigbar said, grip tightening on the box for a second before he shifted to place it on his nearby dresser. "Thanks for the present, Red." He kissed her.

"It was mostly a joke, you know." she said, pulling back, "I wasn't trying to say that there would be a next time, but the only other thing I could think of getting you involved stripping, and with your shoulder still out of commission, I thought that might be a bad idea."

Xigbar chuckled, "While I love the idea of you stripping, I have two issues with that - one, it's too soon for that, way too soon, and two, you're not a present, Red. Also, you didn't have to get me anything, you know that. I love ya anyways, Sass."

"Well, _I_ wasn't going to be your present, the lack of clothing was going to be your present-the fact that I was the one not wearing clothing was just a treat." she smirked, but nodded, snuggling up to him, "Love you too."

Xigbar held her closer. "I don't want you to feel pressured into doing something like that for special occasions - only when you're ready, Sass. And I think it's too soon for something like that, anyway, we haven't been together for very long."

Kairi just smiled.

"Have you ever been with someone besides _him_?" Xigbar suddenly asked.

Kairi blinked, but shook her head, "No..."

Xigbar nodded. "Just was wondering." He shifted closer and kissed her.

"You don't just wonder these things." Kairi frowned.

"You do if your girlfriend just said she was planning on stripping for you but decided against it." Xigbar chuckled.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Then I'm scared about what questions you would've come up with if I hadn't decided against it."

"Where have you been all my life?" Xigbar asked semi-seriously. "Faced with perfection such as yourself, what else _can_ I ask?"

Kairi just smiled, leaning in and kissing him, "Does that mean I don't have to go home tonight?"

"What about Namine?" Xigbar frowned.

"She spent Christmas with Reno's family. I can text her and let her know." Kairi shrugged.

"Well then if you want to stay, of course you can, Red. You can have the bed." Xigbar smiled.

"Nuh uh. I'm not stripping, so you're not moving." Kairi said, snuggling into him.

"All right, but no messing around. Just sleeping, okay? I'm serious, Red, I don't want to pressure you." Xigbar said in one of his rare serious moments.

"That's fine." Kairi chuckled, "You're just very comfy."

Xigbar chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Red." He grinned.

Kairi giggled, "Merry Christmas."

XXXX

17 chapters ago it was Halloween. I don't know how I feel about that.

Jasmine again. Cami's lazy. And also has nothing to say. Miraculous, I know. ;)

(Cami, I love you please don't kill me in my sleep!)

Anywayyy... This chapter's kinda cute, right? Christmas was fun to write, although figuring out gifts was a little challenging. By the way, if it's not in there what a certain character got another, we have it worked out (pretty much) but just didn't feel right including it. Message me if you want to know, although if it's one of Cami's characters, better ask her and be prepared for a blank stare (she had a hard time thinking of things).

It's kinda weird to think we started planning Christmas in this universe over the summer in Cami's vacation home.

And if you think _that's_ a time jump to be planning, you'd be amazed to think of how far ahead we've gotten in our planning time-wise.

Yeah, this story is never ending. Ever. :D


	38. Seifer Breaks Into Hayner's House

Hayner paced in his bedroom, waiting for Roxas to pick up the phone.

_"__Hello?__"_ Roxas said, a bit breathlessly.

Hayner scowled. "What the hell are you doing, running a marathon?"

_"__I__'__m __at __Axel__'__s __right __now.__"_ Roxas chuckled.

"Never mind, I don't want to know." Hayner muttered.

Roxas laughed. _"__So __what__'__s __up?__"_

"I want to go snowboarding tomorrow, you up for it?" Hayner asked.

_"__Sorry, __I__'__ve __already __got __plans __with __Axel.__"_ Roxas said.

"Oh, c'mon! You've been spending way more time with him than with me, and I thought I was your best friend!" Hayner protested.

_"__Yeah, __but __he__'__s __better __looking.__"_ Roxas said.

Hayner snorted. "He's not good for you if he doesn't let you see your friends."

_"__It__'__s __not __that __he __doesn__'__t __let __me, __it__'__s __that __I __don__'__t __want __to.__"_ Roxas laughed. _"__Look, __Hay, __we__'__d __already __made __plans, __otherwise __I __would __go __with __you.__"_

"You're just saying that so I don't get pissed." Hayner decided.

Roxas laughed. _"__You __ask __Pence?__"_

Hayner scowled. "He's still got practices on campus, he can't go."

_"__Oh. __What __about __Olette?__"_ Roxas asked.

"You know as well as I do she hates going." Hayner said, rolling his eyes. "Man, this sucks! I really wanted to go."

_"__I__'__ve __got __it!__"_ Roxas said excitedly. _"__Why __don__'__t __you __call __and __ask __Seifer?__"_

"Seifer?" Hayner said skeptically. "He's not a big winter person."

_"__So? __I __bet __he__'__ll __go __if __you __ask __and __that __way __you __won__'__t __have __to __be __the __loser __there __by __yourself __and __you__'__ll __get __to __have __fun.__"_

"Forget it, you're just trying to set me up with him." Hayner said.

_"__You __like __him __and __you __know __it.__"_ Roxas said, hurriedly continuing before Hayner could protest. _"__You __guys __are __friends, __he__'__s __been __to __your __house, __you __went __to __the __Christmas __party __at __the __Box __Depot __with __him, __I__'__d __say __that__'__s __close __enough __friends __to __warrant __a __snowboarding __trip.__"_

"You make it sound like a date." Hayner snorted.

_"__It __wouldn__'__t __have __been __a __date __if __me __and __you __went, __so __why __is __it __a __date __if __you __and __him __go?__" _Roxas asked.

"...That actually makes sense. Wow." Hayner said.

Roxas snorted. _"__Don__'__t __piss __me __off __and __just __call __him.__"_

Hayner snickered. "All right, all right. But I'm expecting you to clear some time to go for when he says no."

_"__He__'__s __not __going __to __say __no.__"_

"Yes he will."

_"__No __he __won__'__t.__"_

"Yes, he will."

_"__No, __he __won__'__t. __Just __call __him!__"_ Roxas growled.

"Fine! Go enjoy being a sap with your boyfriend!" Hayner snapped.

_"__I __will!__"_ Roxas smirked, hanging up.

Hayner blew out a breath. "Idiot." Sighing, he sat on the edge of his bed. "This is a bad idea..." He said as he dialed, waiting for Seifer to answer.

"_Hello?"_

"Seifer? It's Hayner." Hayner said, knee bouncing with nervous energy.

_"__Oh, __hey.__"_ Seifer answered. There was shuffling before he spoke again, _"__What__'__s __up?__"_

"Listen, my friends bailed on me and I need someone to go snowboarding with. You wanna go tomorrow?" Hayner asked.

Seifer paused, before chuckling, _"__Are __you __asking __me __out, __sweetheart?__"_

"What? No!" Hayner yelled, flushing. "No way, we're just friends! Forget it, nevermind, okay?"

Seifer laughed, _"__I__'__m __joking, __Hayner. __Sure, __I__'__ll __go __snowboarding __with __you.__"_

"Wait, really?" Hayner asked, a little shocked.

"_Yes... Why is this so surprising?"_

"I don't know, I just thought you wouldn't want to go." Hayner said.

Seifer chuckled, _"__Sounds __like __fun.__"_ he said.

"Have you ever snowboarded before?" Hayner asked curiously, flopping back onto his bed and staring up at his ceiling.

"_Couple times, but it's been years."_

"Okay. We'll take it slow until you're warmed up, then. It'd be easier if we just drove there together - can you pick me up? I don't wanna take the car from my sister unless I have to." Hayner said.

Seifer chuckled, but spoke, _"__Sure. __What __time?__"_

"Doesn't matter, whatever works for you. You don't have your own gear, right? You can borrow some of mine. Otherwise, you'll have to rent it." Hayner said.

"_Sure. I'll pick you up around nine, then?"_

"Sure. Hey, you know you really don't have to go if you don't want to. I can go by myself or something..." Hayner said, not wanting to make him go but also not wanting to sound pathetic.

Seifer laughed, _"__Already __said __I__'__d __go, __sweetheart. __See __you __tomorrow.__"_ There was a click as he hung up before Hayner could protest.

Hayner scowled at his phone. "Stupid Seifer and his stupid nicknames." He grumbled, before sending a quick text message to Roxas, letting him know what had happened.

XXXX

Seifer pulled up in front of Hayner's house, parking his car and climbing out. Striding up to the front door, he knocked.

Hayner cursed, shoving the water bottles into his pack before hurrying out of the kitchen and going to the door, pulling it open. "Sorry, hi. C'mon in. I just gotta pack a few more things and then we can go."

"Don't worry about it, take your time." Seifer nodded, shutting the door behind him as he walked in.

"Thanks." Hayner said, heading back into the kitchen. Grabbing his pack, he placed it by the front door. "I'll be right back, gotta run up to my room to get the gear and stuff."

Seifer nodded.

Hayner dashed upstairs, putting on his coat, gloves, and boots and grabbing the bag with the rest of his gear and the two snowboards leaning against the wall, managing to juggle it all as he came down the stairs.

Seifer's eyes widened and he grabbed the snowboards, "Geez, you should have told me you needed help." He commented.

"I got it." Hayner grumbled, picking up the other pack he had put by the door before. "All right, I'm ready. You set?"

"Yep." Seifer nodded, holding open the door for Hayner.

"Thanks." Hayner muttered, going out, heading to Seifer's car and waiting for him to pop the trunk.

Seifer did so, helping Hayner stuff the gear into it, finally shutting the trunk a few minutes later. "Got everything?"

"Yeah." Hayner nodded, smiling and climbing into the car, smiling at Seifer as he got in as well. "You didn't have to work today?"

"Nope." Seifer shook his head. "It's my day off. You were lucky."

"That's cool." Hayner said, "So when exactly was the last time you went snowboarding again?"

"About never." Seifer answered. "Should be interesting." He chuckled. "What about you, sweetheart? Go snowboarding a lot?"

Hayner rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously going to keep calling me that?"

"Yep." Seifer shrugged. "Answer the question."

"Well don't do it in front of people or something." Hayner mumbled, blushing lightly. Louder, he said, "I love snowboarding, so yeah, I go a lot."

"So, if you had to choose between snowboarding and soccer…?"

"Snowboarding, definitely. But we don't live in a place really good for it, you know? Our winters aren't long enough." Hayner said.

Seifer nodded. "Yep, I get it."

"Did you ever play a sport or something?" Hayner asked curiously.

"I was on the track team for two weeks in high school, but not beyond that, no." Seifer said.

"Oh, that's cool, I guess." Hayner said. "But if you haven't been boarding in forever and weren't into sports already, why'd you agree to come with me?"

"You sounded like you really wanted to go." Seifer shrugged.

"Well, yeah." Hayner smiled at him. "But I coulda waited for Rox or gone alone or something."

Siefer chuckled, smiling back.

"Whatever. Thanks, I guess." Hayner grinned as Seifer pulled up to the resort. "Let's see what you've got."

"This is going to be interesting." Seifer admitted.

Hayner laughed, climbing out of the car. "We'll start easy, I promise.

Seifer chuckled.

XXXX

Hayner tried to hold in his laughter as he offered his hand to Seifer, pulling him to his feet. "I think we're done for the day, huh? Lemme get you off of the board and do one more run and we can leave."

"Sounds good." Seifer grumbled.

Hayner easily bent and undid the straps. "There. I'll meet you at the car?" He took one look at Seifer's snow-covered back and couldn't hold it in anymore, laughing as he headed for the harder course to zip down before they left.

Seifer shook his head, grumbling to himself, "He is _very_ lucky I actually like him."

Hayner sighed, closing his eyes in the face of the wind as he agily moved down the course. Going over a jump, he couldn't help but let out a little yell of joy. All too soon, he was at the end again. Sighing once more, he took off the snowboard and headed inside, gathering what little gear Seifer hadn't already grabbed before making his way to car, depositing his stuff in the trunk and climbing in. "That was awesome." He grinned.

"I'm glad you had fun." Seifer nodded.

"Did you at least have a little fun? You almost nailed it that last time." Hayner said.

"Yeah, I had fun." Seifer nodded. "Didn't realize I was _this_ bad."

"You'll get better with practice." Hayner snickered. "Have you ever skateboarded? That helps with the balance."

Seifer shook his head. "Nah." He shrugged.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "Well, you'll get better if you keep going. But if you didn't like it, that's okay too, you know. Pence goes with me but skis instead and Rox boards so you won't have to go again if you don't want."

"I told you I had fun, so don't make me change my mind, sweetheart." Seifer chuckled.

Hayner blushed lightly. "Whatever."

Seifer laughed. He pulled up to Hayner's house and parked.

Hayner climbed out of the car, grabbing some of his gear and muttering his thanks to Seifer when he grabbed the rest of it. Together, they walked up the path and Hayner dropped his bags in favor of finding his keys. He reached into his pocket – nothing. Other pocket? Nope. Frowning, he checked his pants pockets.

"Oh fuck. No no no!" He yelled, frustratedly yanking on the locked door.

"What?" Seifer asked, frowning.

"I forgot my keys." Hayner groaned.

"Is your sister around?" Seifer asked.

"No." Hayner sighed. "She's visiting friends of something. I can try calling her, I guess…" He trailed off, pulling out his cell phone.

"Give it a shot." Seifer nodded, putting the stuff he was carrying down and glancing around at the house.

Hayner dialed, cursing when it went straight to voicemail. "Goddammit, Olette! Pick up!" He growled, redialing.

Seifer walked away from Hayner, wandering around to the side of the house. One of the windows on the first floor was open just a little bit. He carefully pried the screen off before pushing the window open and climbing through, walking to the front of the house and unlocking and then opening the front door.

Hayner turned, gaping at Seifer and nearly dropping his phone. "Did you just… break into my house?"

"You left a window open." Seifer answered.

"You broke into my house. _You_ broke into my house. You _broke_ into my _house_!" Hayner repeated, numbly pocketing his cell phone.

"Would you rather be locked out of your house?" Seifer asked him.

"Well, no, but…" Hayner took a deep breath. "I wasn't expecting you to break in. Thanks, I guess."

"An old friend of mine used to lock himself out constantly. I learned how to pop screens out then." Seifer explained. He grabbed the stuff he dropped and walked in, "So where do you want this?"

Hayner followed him in with the rest of the stuff, still a little shocked. "Anywhere's fine. I'll cart it upstairs later."

Seifer nodded, putting the stuff he was holding down. "Calm down, sweetheart, I'm not going to break in here for fun."

Hayner blushed. "Shut up, I know that!"

Seifer chuckled.

"Anyway," the younger blonde huffed, "you want something to eat? I'm starving."

"Sure. Drop the stuff. We'll go eat somewhere." Seifer answered.

"I've got food here." Hayner offered.

"Nah, come on. I won't even make you spend a dime." He promised.

"No way, if we are going out, I'm paying for my half." Hayner frowned, crossing his arms.

"Not happening, sweetheart. Get in the car."

"Why not?" Hayner demanded. "Just because I don't have a job doesn't mean I don't have enough cash to buy myself food."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "That sort of proves my point, dear." He said. "I have a job, you don't. Therefore, when I drag you out to eat, I'm paying. End of story, get in the car."

Hayner glared at him before giving up and stomping to the car. "I'm not your 'dear', goddammit." He muttered.

Seifer laughed. "Keys, sweetheart."

Hayner blushed scarlet, stomping back into the house, past Seifer, grabbing his keys and stomping back to the car all while refusing to acknowledge Seifer's existence.

Seifer laughed again. "Gonna fix your screen first." He said, heading back into the living room, laughing all the while.

XXXX

Kairi walked into the living room, balancing four cans in her arms. Tossing one to her sister, she put the other three down on the living room table, plopping onto the couch and stretching, "Reno on his way? Xigbar should be here any minute."

Namine nodded. "Yes, he should get here soon."

Kairi nodded mutely, but hopped up when the doorbell rang. "Be right back." she smiled at her sister before walking over and swinging it open.

Xigbar grinned. "Hey, Red."

Kairi smiled, "Hey, Xigbar. Hey, Reno."

Reno nodded. Kairi took a step back to let him in before stepping forward again and leaning up to give Xigbar a kiss.

Xigbar grinned, kissing her back and moving them forward enough for him to have room to kick the door closed. "How's your day been?" He asked, pulling back.

Kairi shrugged, "Day-like. Yours?"

"Boring without you." He grinned.

Kairi smiled at him, "C'mon." she tugged on his arm, leading him into the living room.

Namine settled closer to Reno, linking hands with him before smiling at Xigbar. "Hi, Xigbar. Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"I did, yeah. Did you?" Xigbar asked, sitting down with Kairi.

"Yes, thank you." Namine smiled.

"You seem to be recovered from the Zack thing." Reno commented, squeezing her hand.

"Reno." Namine blushed.

Xigbar laughed but refrained from commenting.

Reno chuckled, "Sorry."

"What Zack thing?" Kairi raised an eyebrow at her sister.

Namine blushed brighter. "It was nothing important, trust me."

Kairi chuckled at the look on her sister's face, but dropped it.

"So what's the plan for tonight? You got any poppers to celebrate with, Red, for when the ball drops?" Xigbar asked.

"We've got stuff, but I was too lazy to pull it out." Kairi said, "Want me to? I think it's in the closet."

"We can go hunting for it later, definitely." Xigbar grinned.

Namine started to say something but paused when her cell starting ringing. "Sorry." She muttered, pulling it out, intending on silencing it when she saw who it was. She stared up at Kairi. "It's Dad."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, "What does he want? Bet you twenty bucks he forgot what month it was."

Namine just shook her head, answering the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Namine, it's your dad."_

"Hello." Namine repeated. "Is everything all right?"

"_Of course. Is Kairi around? I have something to tell you two."_

Namine glanced at her sister. "Hold on one second." She covered her phone with her hand, "He has something to tell the both of us so I'm putting him on speaker phone." She smiled apologetically at Reno as Xigbar just nodded, uncovering her phone and turning it on speaker, placing it on the table. "All right, Dad, you're on speaker phone."

"_Hi, Kairi."_

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Hey."

"You had something to tell us?" Namine prompted.

"_Right, right. I wanted to let you girls know that a couple of months ago, I met this woman-"_

Kairi cut him off again, "So, you're married again, then?"

"_Well, yes."_

"Congratulations." Namine said tiredly.

Reno raised an eyebrow, shifting so that his arm was around Namine before glancing at Xigbar.

"_Thank you. So, how are you girls doing? Is school going okay?"_

"Mmm." Kairi answered.

Xigbar shrugged at Reno, just as confused as he was.

"We're both doing well, thank you. How are you and your new... wife?" Namine asked.

"_We__'__re __doing __well. __I__'__m __going __to __bring __her __by __next __month.__" _He said, sounding proud of himself.

Kairi just rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Oh, really? You'll call before you arrive, won't you? Last visit's surprise was... lovely, but we'd like a little time to... prepare the house for you." Namine said, glancing at Kairi a bit helplessly.

"_Of __course, __of __course. __Well, __I __should __get __going. __It __was __nice __talking __to __you __two, __see __you __soon.__"_ There was a click as he hung up.

Kairi glanced at her sister, "Bet you fifty we never meet her."

Namine sighed wearily. "We probably won't," she agreed, hanging up her phone and pocketing it.

Reno just blinked.

Kairi sighed, snuggling into Xigbar, "At least we didn't have to sit through the wedding this time."

"All right, Red, what gives?" Xigbar asked.

Kairi glanced at him, "What?"

"You said your dad is never around, but the way you guys talked to him... what's the story there?" Xigbar asked.

Reno tightened his grip on Namine and nodded, "Yeah, that was..." he trailed off.

Kairi shrugged, not sure how to explain it, "He's, er..." she glanced at Namine for help.

"He's a philanderer with an all-too-frequent habit of getting married?" Namine suggested.

"I don't even know what number wife this is." Kairi nodded.

"Forty-five, I think." Namine answered.

"So he just... marries every woman he sleeps with?" Xigbar asked.

"Since our mom, yeah." Kairi nodded.

"That's... uh... interesting." Reno frowned, "Have you met any of them?"

"When we were younger, sure." Kairi shrugged.

"He didn't handle our mother's death well." Namine explained. "When we had no choice, we met them and were in the weddings, but now that we are on our own, aside from the occasional visit, we simply leave each other alone."

"So he was never really a dad to you guys, huh?" Xigbar asked, holding Kairi closer.

Kairi shrugged, "Not really. Sora's mom pretty much raised us."

"Damn. That's really not right, Red. I'm sorry." Xigbar kissed her quickly.

Kairi shrugged again once he pulled back, "Used to it. But thanks."

Reno squeezed Namine, "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Namine smiled at him. "It's all right, really."

"Remind me not to tell my mom this when you meet her, Red." Xigbar chuckled. "She's going to want to kick your dad's ass and then smother you with affection."

Kairi laughed, leaning into him, "I'm completely open to the ass-kicking part."

"I might do that part myself." Xigbar winked. "But I don't want her driving you crazy, either, Sass."

"I think Kairi would like spending time with your mom, Xigbar." Namine reassured him.

Kairi giggled, leaning in to him.

Reno paled, thinking about his father, "You know what, let's just not mention this to my dad either... or Aerith, for that matter. Actually, never mind Dad, he lives an hour away, just keep this from Aerith."

Namine laughed and shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever have a reason for telling either of them, but I'll keep it in mind."

Reno smiled.

"Well, that's enough family drama. It's New Years Eve, let's not mope around. Also, I told you he forgot what month it was." Kairi glanced at her sister.

"He didn't actually mention what month it is, so you can't know that for sure." Namine said.

"Yeah, but Christmas was a week ago, and it's New Years Eve. You'd think he'd at least say Happy Holidays." Kairi reminded her.

"I cannot pretend to understand Dad." Namine shook her head. "Now, I'm in the mood for Chinese. Anyone else?"

"Sure." Reno shrugged.

Kairi grinned, "Chinese sounds good."

Xigbar laughed. "Sounds good to me. Order a little of everything or something, would you? Red and I are going to go digging for the goodies." He grinned, standing and pulling Kairi up as well.

Namine smiled. "All right."

Kairi squeaked but regained her balance quickly, "Right. C'mere." she led him towards the closet in question.

Reno glanced at Namine, "Need help ordering?"

"Yes, please." Namine smiled. "I think we have a menu in the kitchen, I'll be right back." She said, standing and going into the kitchen, searching in the drawers until she found said menu, taking it back into the living room and sitting next to Reno once more.

Reno wrapped his arm around her again and pulled her close.

Namine smiled at him, shifting so that she could kiss him.

Reno smiled into the kiss, leaning in and readjusting his arm so he could hold her close.

XXXX

Roxas slipped into Axel's bedroom with two flutes of champagne, closing the door behind him. He grinned, handing his boyfriend one of the drinks and clinking them together. "To the new year!" He smiled, taking a sip.

Axel raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on his underage boyfriend's drinking habits, instead carefully pulling him down to the bed and giving him a kiss.

Roxas sighed, reaching over to place his drink on the nearby stand before lying back comfortably. "Any New Year's resolutions?" He grinned.

Axel chuckled. "Not really. I don't usually do resolutions." He admitted. "They're nothing more than goals."

"Mhmm. Would you like to hear mine?" Roxas grinned.

Axel smiled. "Sure."

"I'll tell you my top three, then. Third, I'd like to spend more time with you during this semester than last."

"Second," Roxas leaned up to link his arms around Axel's neck, "Falling asleep in your arms as often as possible."

"And first," Roxas pulled until Axel was hovering over his stretched-out body, leaning up to whisper in the redhead's ear, "I'd like to get you naked."

Axel smirked, leaning in to close the gap between them and kissing him.

Roxas grinned, tightening his grip and kissing him back, happy.

Axel pulled back. "Door unlocked?" He asked.

"Yes." Roxas murmured.

"We should lock it." Axle said even as he leaned back in.

"Probably a good idea." Roxas agreed, kissing him again, tugging softly on his hair.

Axel pulled away and pushed Roxas down onto the bed. "Stay." He said, smirking, before getting up to lock the door.

Roxas pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Hey, Axel? You have my Christmas present somewhere in here, right? Do you want to… try them out? I wonder what it really tastes like…"

Axel turned the lock and smirked at him, grabbing the present off a table and walking back over.

Roxas grinned. "Which flavors you want to try first?"

XXXX

Hey everyone. Long time no see. What? It's Cami. I STILL EXIST, OKAY?

Nah, I lied. I'm dead. Jasmine killed me. She conspired with school and killed me.

Next time I have to do ANs, my brain should hopefully be back.

Maybe.

I hope.

*Posting note: Stupid FF messed up the formatting and spacing of the chapter. I went through and fixed it but sorry if I missed anything. -Jasmine


	39. Everyone is Happy?

Hello again. Jasmine here. This is our last stockpiled chapter, so updating might be a little inconsistent for a bit (not that it isn't already - sorry!). Good news is that all the characters are pretty happy right now... ;)

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Zack rolled over, reaching for Aerith, frowning in his sleep when he only felt the bed. He cracked his eyes open, "Aerith?" He sat up, looking around.

Getting out of bed, he wandered into the hall, heading to the kitchen, "Baby? Where'd you go?"

"I'm in the kitchen," Aerith answered, turning as he entered. "Happy birthday, hon," she smiled, kissing him.

Zack yawned but smiled back, hugging her close, "Thanks. Breakfast? I'm hungry."

"I'm making it now," Aerith smiled. "Sit, sit."

"Mhmm, whatcha making? Need help?" Zack asked, setting the table for two before stretching.

"It's a surprise," Aerith grinned.

Zack laughed, "I bet it'll be delicious!"

"Hope so," she smiled. Finished up, she served it out onto the two plates.

"Oh man, Aerith, eggs and bacon and sausage? I love you!" Zack grinned, shoveling the food into his mouth and moaning at the deliciousness.

Aerith smiled at him, eating her plate of it as well.

"So what're you doing today?" Zack asked.

"I'm doing whatever you're doing," she answered. "It's your birthday."

"Well…" Zack said, thinking, "I kinda wanted to check out Leon's store and get ideas for our nursery." He reached for Aerith's hand, squeezing it.

Aerith smiled, "Sure, that sounds good."

Zack grinned, "Okay!"

Aerith grinned, finishing up her food.

XXXX

Zack parked the car. "This is it. Wonder who named it? I can't picture Leon coming up with 'The Hardware Store Place'," he snorted.

Aerith chuckled, "Probably not. We can always ask him."

"Yeah," Zack said, climbing out and opening Aerith's door for her, taking her hand and leading her in. "Whoa, I don't even know where to start! Last time I was here I didn't get a chance to really notice how much stuff is in here!"

Larxene poked her head out of one of the aisles. "Oh, hey!" she grinned, walking over.

"Hiya, Larxene! Wow, haven't seen you in forever!" Zack laughed. "Things good? For your roommates, too?"

"Yep, definitely," she smiled. "Can I help you with something?"

"Leon said we could look around for nursery stuff. Oh, did Cloud tell you? Aerith's pregnant – we're having a baby!" Zack grinned.

"Cloud mentioned it, but that's awesome, congrats!" Larxene smiled at both of them.

Zack grinned, putting his arm around Aerith, "So, you sell paint or wall paper here? We want to convert our spare bedroom into a nursery."

"Yep. Follow me."

XXXX

"Hayner! Wait up!" Roxas yelled, running to catch up to the other blonde.

"Hey, Rox," Hayner grinned, turning and stopping.

"Glad to be back?" Roxas asked.

Hayner shrugged, "Yeah, but I could do without the classes."

Roxas snorted, "I think _everyone_ could do with the work, Hay."

"You asked," Hayner snapped.

Roxas chuckled, "I know, I know. So, done for the day?"

"Yeah, you?" Hayner asked.

"Yup. Ax's picking me up," Roxas said.

"God, Rox, are you two _ever_ separated anymore?" Hayner rolled his eyes.

"What about you and Seifer, huh? You spent practically the whole break with him!" Roxas retorted.

"That's because my best friend ditched me!" Hayner yelled.

"So you _did_ spend all break with him!" Roxas said, triumphant.

"Shut up, we're just friends. I'm sick of you insinuating we are something more!" Hayner snapped.

"Nice vocabulary," Roxas sneered.

Hayner punched his arm, "Stop being a dick."

"You're so _blind_, Hay, I swear. Why can't you admit you like him?" Roxas demanded.

"Because I don't!" Hayner flushed.

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Do!"

"Don't!"

"I'll prove it!" Roxas exclaimed.

"You can't prove what isn't real. God, Roxas, why are you so attached to this idea? Just 'cause you're gay doesn't make me automatically gay, too!" Hayner said angrily.

"You always _were_ gay, you're just too dumb to notice. When was the last time you even checked out a girl, huh?" Roxas demanded.

"All the time!" Hayner snapped.

Roxas snorted, "Yeah, right. Just admit it already."

"If you're going to be an asshole, I'm leaving," Hayner said, turning away.

Roxas ran around him so they were facing each other again, "One, you like how he smells. Him, not some cologne."

"That's-"

"Two, you wear his jackets _all __the __time_," Roxas spoke right over him.

"Yeah, but-"

"Three, you spend all your time with him or talking about him or texting him," Roxas continued.

"Rox-"

"Four, he's been over your house more than once. You've held hands. He's taken you out for food. Alone. Multiple times."

"Shut up!" Hayner yelled.

"You like him. He flirts with you constantly and you never stop him, Hayner. Ever. For God's sake, you let him call you sweetheart," Roxas said smugly.

"That's _it_!" Hayner snapped. "I'll prove once and for all that I don't fucking like Seifer!" Hayner pulled out his cell, dialing Seifer. "You on campus? Where? Don't move, I'll be right there," he snapped his phone shut, glaring at Roxas.

"What are you doing?" Roxas asked, tone implying he finally thought Hayner had lost it.

"Proving you wrong, goddammit," Hayner snapped before turning on his heel and storming away.

Roxas shook his head, sending a silent wish of good luck to Seifer before heading to the entrance of campus to wait for Axel.

Hayner muttered to himself as he stormed into the courtyard, other students giving him a wide berth. Walking over to Seifer, he ignored what he tried to say and put his hands on the other blonde's shoulder firmly before leaning in and kissing him.

Seifer, who was already confused from the phone call, blinked, but figured that this _was_ pretty much exactly what he'd been working towards and leaned closer, taking the kiss over from the younger blonde.

Hayner's grip tightened on Seifer's shoulders, and mentally he started panicking, mainly because _he __was __kissing __Seifer __and __liking __it_.

He pulled back, panting a little and blushing. "I fucking hate it when Roxas is right," he said before kissing Seifer again.

When Seifer finally decided to pull back, he spoke, slightly out of breath, "Not that I'm complaining, but what brought this on?" he asked, not letting Hayner move any further away.

"Fucking Roxas," Hayner muttered. "Asshole was yelling at me and I just had to prove him wrong. He's not always right, dammit. But he was. Fuck!" Hayner closed his eyes before it sunk in and they snapped open, staring at Seifer in embarrassment and slight terror.

Seifer, amused, spoke again, "And what, exactly were you trying to prove him wrong about?"

"Uh. Um. Oh hell," Hayner managed to say, panicking. "I…"

Seifer raised an eyebrow.

"I gotta go!" Hayner blurted out, heart racing as he tried to untangle himself from Seifer, pushing him away.

"Yeah, not happening," Seifer said, grabbing Hayner's wrist.

"Seifer! Let go!" Hayner protested, breaths coming fast, face flushed scarlet.

"Are you… okay?" Seifer asked. Now honestly concerned, he let go, "All right. Just call me when you're… calmer?"

Barely managing a nod, Hayner turned on his heel and fled, thoughts a jumbled up mess. He ran all the way to the campus entrance, wildly looking around for Roxas before spotting him and running over.

"Rox," He said, panicked.

"Hay, what happened?" Roxas forced his friend to sit down.

"I like Seifer," Hayner choked out.

"Ah. Finally figured it out?" Roxas asked, smug.

"I kissed him. And he kissed back. Oh god!" Hayner said breathlessly.

"What?" Roxas exclaimed before slowly smiling. "Calm down, Hay. Did you like it?"

"Yes. Fuck, yes. Jesus, it was only a kiss and…" Hayner trailed off, blushing.

"Congrats. I knew you could do it," Roxas grinned, patting him on the back.

"Rox… what do I do now?" Hayner asked.

"What do you mean? You're dating him now, obviously," Roxas said, staring at Hayner's face and pausing. "Oh, don't tell me you kissed him and ran? Hayner!"

"I freaked, okay? I wasn't supposed to like it!" Hayner yelled.

"Oh, Hay," Roxas pulled him into a hug. "You need to find him and explain. Tell him how you feel."

"What if he doesn't like me like that?" Hayner muttered.

"Trust me," Roxas snorted, "he likes you. Now go."

Hayner hesitated before standing, "If it goes bad, I'm blaming you."

Roxas grinned, "Just go, Hay."

Hayner took a deep breath before turning and running back to the courtyard, hoping Seifer hadn't left yet.

Seifer was still there, sitting on a bench when he noticed Hayner running toward him (again) and he stood up.

"I'm sorry," Hayner blurted out, stopping and standing awkwardly in front of him.

"It's okay," Seifer said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You ready to explain, or would you rather just jump me again and let me come to my own conclusion?" he asked with a smile.

"I didn't jump you," Hayner muttered, blushing and staring at his feet.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "You sort of did. I'm not complaining, though."

Hayner glanced up but couldn't meet Seifer's eyes, "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Roxas got me pissed and I wanted to prove him wrong but then we… and I didn't."

"You're making no sense, sweetheart," Seifer said, taking a step towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I think… Roxas said that… and we spent all that time together…. and the lunches… you always…" Hayner shook his head, slightly frustrated with himself. He put his hands on Seifer's shoulders, taking a deep breath… and nearly choking on his own spit.

Seifer blinked as Hayner coughed, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Hayner croaked, wincing, "Sorry."

Seifer sighed, "Hayner, if you're not ready to talk to me, don't force it."

"I like you," Hayner blurted out, blushing profusely.

Seifer smiled. "And that didn't seem too hard," he commented.

"No, I mean… Goddammit, why are you being a dick? This isn't easy, okay?" Hayner snapped, tightening his grip on the older blonde's shoulders.

Seifer chuckled, carefully taking Hayner's hands off his shoulders and into his own before pulling the blonde close and kissing him. "Of course I like you, sweetheart."

Hayner sputtered, staring at him. "Why the hell is Roxas always right?" he demanded.

Seifer blinked, "Uhhh… I don't _know_?" he lied.

Hayner grumbled before glancing at their intertwined fingers and blushing again. "So… uh… are we dating?"

"That depends. Can I call you sweetheart in public now?"

Hayner scowled, "You already do that now!"

Seifer laughed.

"Shut up, it's not funny," Hayner very nearly pouted. "I'm new to this, give me a break!"

Seifer chuckled. "Take you time, dear. We have plenty," he teased. More seriously, he spoke, "I don't want to push you into anything, Hayner."

Hayner scowled, "Oh, so you finally get me and now you're trying to change your mind and back out? I don't think so! You sure as hell are stuck with me now!" He tightened his grip.

Seifer smirked, "In that case, yes." He glanced at his watch, "Doing anything this afternoon?"

Hayner stared at him, "No, why?"

"Then let's get lunch," he said. "I've got class in a few, but we can meet up after, if you want."

"Um, sure," Hayner said, stepping back so that they were no longer holding hands. "Where should I meet you?"

"Around here?" Seifer shrugged.

"Okay. I guess I'll… see you in a bit?" Hayner asked, looking a little unsure and not as confident.

"Sounds good," Seifer nodded.

"Okay," Hayner smiled at him, sitting down.

Seifer waved and headed off.

Hayner sighed, pulling out his cell phone to play mindless games for the next hour, thinking over exactly what just happened.

XXXX

Mary McOskey didn't get many days off, but the ones she did, she did her best to spend with her children (and extended family of children, which seemed to be growing lately). Since her sons were going to be out for her evening off, she figured spending some time with the twins (if they wanted to) would be a good idea, especially considering it had been months since they'd been able to.

Namine rang the doorbell, standing with her sister. "And Sora's sure she has the day off today?"

"Of course," Kairi answered. "Besides, Sora didn't call me, Mary did," she grinned. The door opened.

Namine smiled. "Mary! How are you doing?"

"I'm good." Mary smiled, letting the two girls inside, "How are you two?"

"We're doing well," Namine said as she made her way into the living room and sat down.

Mary sat down as well and Kairi grinned, plopping onto the couch next to her sister. "Mary, Mary, Mary, guess what."

Mary grinned, "Yes?"

"I told you to guess."

"Just tell her," Namine nudged her sister.

Kairi pouted at her sister, but gave in. "Nam and I both have boyfriends," she said with a grin.

Mary's eyes widened, "Really? Even after-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Kairi shook her head. "But yes. Xigbar's awesome."

"He works at the Rusty Wrench and he's very nice," Namine assured Mary.

"Well, that's good," Mary smiled. "I'm happy for you. What about you, Nami? Kairi said you were dating too," she teased lightly.

Namine blushed lightly, "I am. I'm dating Reno, Riku's older brother."

This, Mary was a little surprised at. "Really? I don't think I've met him," she paused, "Wait, so that means that you," she gestured to Namine, "are dating your best friend's older brother."

Still blushing, Namine nodded. "Yes. He's really very nice, though, and the perfect gentleman. For our first date, he took me to Disneyplace."

"Aww, that's adorable!" Mary squealed, reaching over to give Namine a hug, "I'm so happy for you two."

Namine grinned, hugging her back.

"How's work been going?" Kairi asked Mary, "You're not working too hard, are you?"

Mary shrugged. "I'm used to it," she assured them.

"You should try to take it easy when you can," Namine said, knowing she needed to keep all of her jobs in order to pay the bills but not liking that fact nonetheless.

"I am taking it easy," Mary insisted. "I'm spending my night off with my two favorite girls," she smiled.

Namine smiled back, "So I heard you met Axel. And you must know that Sora and Riku are dating, now."

"Well, walking in to my son on _top_ of Riku would do that," Mary nodded. "And yes, I've met Axel. What do you two think of him?"

"He seems like a good man, and he very clearly loves Roxas," Namine said.

"Yeah, and I know Roxas really likes him. And really, did you _see_ those stars?" Kairi asked.

"Oh, they were awesome," Mary agreed, "And I trust Roxas, so I'm not going to say anything about Axel. I just hope he knows what he's getting into."

"They're very happy together," Namine smiled.

"Well, that's good," Mary smiled. "So, how's your _last_ semester of college going?"

"All right, I suppose. Although, it's a little overwhelming to realize we need to start applying for jobs," Namine said.

"Can't I just keep living at home and lie to dad when he asks if I've graduated yet?" Kairi asked her sister.

"He may be inattentive but he will eventually realize you've been in college for many more years than necessary. If he doesn't figure it out, you can be sure his accountant will," Namine said, shaking her head.

"What if I lie and say I'm going for a doctorate?"

Namine gave her sister a look, "He'll never believe you."

"A girl can dream," Kairi whined.

Mary laughed, "You two are ridiculous. Kairi, I'm sure you'll be able to find a job. You and Sora have the same major, and Sora's already looking around."

"Yeah, but Sora's _Sora._ I'm not Sora," Kairi said, as if that explained everything.

"Has he found anything promising yet?" Namine asked.

"I don't think so," Mary shook her head, "But he has a while to look."

Namine nodded, "I'm sure everything will be fine."

Mary nodded, "What about you, Nami? Any ideas where you even want to look?"

"I'd eventually like to work in child therapy, but that field is somewhat competitive. I'll have to enter as a secretary and work my way up while getting my Ph.D," Namine said.

"Well, I know you can do it." Mary smiled.

"Of course she can." Kairi said, "She's going to be Doctor White some day, and I'll be able to tease her bartender boyfriend about not having a real job."

"Reno is very happy with his job," Namine said in defense of her boyfriend.

"I didn't say he wasn't," Kairi said, "But it's really not a real job."

"Being a bartender is a perfectly good job," Mary corrected. "And it pays pretty well," she added.

"Which would explain the new car thing," Kairi noted.

Namine nodded.

Mary smiled, "Well, I'm glad you're both happy."

"What about you?" Namine asked. "Are you interested in anyone?"

Mary chuckled and shook her head. "No, no," she said.

"When was the last time you were out on a date?" Namine asked.

"Why are we talking about this?" Mary asked.

Kairi leaned forward. "Too late, we're talking about it," she smiled, "Seriously, Mary."

Mary sighed, "It's been a few years."

"Well, don't give up," Namine smiled. Changing the topic in order to spare Mary from any more questioning from Kairi, the blonde asked, "Would you like to meet Reno sometime? And Xigbar, too, of course."

"Of course I would!" Mary said, "In fact, if they're around, invite them over now, because I have no idea when we'll have this opportunity again."

"Are you sure? This was supposed to be our girl's night," Namine said.

"Of course, as long as you two are okay with it," she smiled.

Namine smiled. "Is Xigbar free, Kairi?"

"I think so," Kairi said. "I can see, though," she stood up and walked into the hall to call him.

"All right, I guess I'm calling Reno," Namine smiled at Mary, pulling out her cell phone. "Excuse us."

Mary smiled. "Of course," she said, "I'll go make some food." She smiled, walking into the kitchen.

XXXX

Reno parked his car in front of Sora's house, and got out of the car, locking it behind him. Walking up to the front door, he knocked.

Xigbar parked behind him, climbing out just as the door opened in front of Reno. Hurrying over, he grinned. "Hey, Namine."

"Hi, Xigbar. Thanks for coming over," Namine said, kissing Reno quickly before letting them both in.

Reno squeezed Namine's hand. "How're you?" he asked, following her into the living room.

Kairi grinned at Xigbar and leaned up to kiss him.

"I'm well. I'm sorry for taking up your napping time," Namine said, pulling him down next to her.

Xigbar grinned, sitting next to Kairi and putting his arm around her. "Hey, Red."

"Don't worry about it," Reno insisted, smiling at her.

Kairi grinned, leaning over and kissing him again. "Hey," she smiled, "Thanks for coming."

"Of course, Red." Xigbar pulled her closer.

Namine smiled at Reno, squeezing his hand lightly.

Mary poked her head out of the kitchen, "I thought I heard new voices." she commented, walking out and smiling.

"This is Reno," Namine said, gesturing to the redhead next to her, "And that's Xigbar." She pointed to him. "This is Mary McOskey, Sora and Roxas' mother."

"It's very nice to meet you," Reno nodded, smiling at her.

"You too," Mary smiled. "Take care of Namine; she's too adorable to be hurt."

Namine blushed lightly. "Mary," she murmured in protest.

Mary grinned at her. "And you too, Xigbar," she said, turning on the other man, but this time she was being more serious, "Don't you even dare."

"I'm well aware how amazing Kairi is. I wouldn't do anything to mess this up," Xigbar said solemnly.

"Good," Mary nodded, before grinning as Kairi blushed and buried her face in Xigbar's shoulder. "Anyway, I'm almost done making some snacks, so I'll be back out in a minute," she said, before walking back into the kitchen.

Xigbar squeezed Kairi's shoulders. "No need to be embarrassed, Red. She obviously cares about you two."

Kairi sighed, looking up at him. "I know that," she said, cuddling into him.

"Ms. McOskey is practically your mom, right?" Reno asked Namine, pulling her closer to him with a smile.

Namine nodded. "In a way, yes. More so than any of Dad's wives, at any rate. Mary practically raised us along with Sora and Roxas - this door was always open to us."

"Which should pretty much explain why Roxas and Sora are family," Kairi added as an afterthought.

Reno nodded. "That's good," he said, "I'm glad she was there for you." In a softer voice so only Namine would hear, he spoke, "And she was right, you are pretty adorable. In a sweet-sexy way," he squeezed her.

Namine blushed bright red, staring at Reno. "Reno..." she murmured, extremely embarrassed, shaking her head as if to deny his words.

Xigbar chuckled lowly, "Wonder what he said to her." He grinned at Kairi, nodding at Reno and Namine.

Kairi chuckled as well, smiling, "No idea. She gets embarrassed easily, though."

"Bet he can't flirt with her like we do, then, huh, Red?" Xigbar grinned, kissing her quickly.

Kairi smirked. "I think she might die," she nodded, leaning in and kissing him again, "But that just means we'll have to flirt twice as much to make up for it."

"Whatever you say, Sass," Xigbar winked at her.

Kairi grinned.

Namine pressed her palms to her cheeks lightly, trying to will her blush away.

Xigbar grinned. "Damn, Reno, we lucked out with this pair, huh? They've got the brains and the personalty, and also are drop-dead gorgeous."

Reno smirked. "Most definitely," he said, squeezing Namine again.

Namine shook her head, burying her face into Reno's shoulder.

Xigbar laughed quietly, mouthing an apology to Reno before winking at Kairi. Whispering so Namine couldn't hear him, he said, "It's true, you know. You're a goddess, Red."

"You guys are adorable," Mary commented from the kitchen doorway. Kairi jumped.

"Mary!" she said, surprised, "How long-"

"Plenty of time," Mary waved her unfinished question off.

Xigbar chuckled, "So what do you do, Ms. McOskey?"

"Things here and there," she answered. "I'm not home much, unfortunately, so that's why this was so spur of the moment."

"No worries. Reno and I pretty much come running when these two call," Xigbar grinned, winking at the older woman.

Mary laughed, "I like him, Kairi."

Kairi chuckled weakly, still startled from the woman that was practically her mother listening in on her conversation with Xigbar.

Reno chuckled. "Well, I think Namine might be dead," he commented. "You all right?" he asked her softly.

Namine nodded, clinging to him.

"She's embarrassed," Xigbar told Mary.

"I know," Mary nodded, "I admit I get her like this on purpose. The more embarrassed she gets the more she likes the compliment, I've noticed."

"Mary!" Namine said, pulling back from Reno to protest, face bright red.

Mary grinned at her, "You're alive!"

Namine sent a pleading look to her sister, acutely embarrassed.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "How're those snacks coming along, Mary?" she asked, squeezing Xigbar's hand before getting up and walking over to her. "Let's go check on them," she turned the woman around and pushed her into the kitchen before sending Namine a look that said she'd better be grateful and following her in.

Namine sighed before lightly glaring at Xigbar, "I believe you are dating Kairi, not me."

Xigbar chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry! I'll behave, promise!" He crossed his heart.

Namine turned to Reno, faltering as she stared at him and leaning in to him instead of saying anything.

Reno adjusted her position so his arms were around her and he smiled, pulling her close to him but not saying anything. Kairi came out a minute later with a plate of cookies. "She'll be out in a minute," she told the others, "She's just finishing up the stuff she _wasn__'__t_ doing when she was spying on us."

"Sounds good, Red," Xigbar said, pulling her down onto his lap before she could sit down on the couch.

She squeaked, but quickly readjusted herself, "How's your shoulder?" she asked him.

Xigbar barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, "Fine, Sass. It's fine."

Namine reached forward, grabbing a cookie and one for Reno as well.

Reno smiled at her, "Thanks."

Kairi wiggled a little bit more than necessary as she readjusted herself and sent Xigbar a smile. "Sorry, sorry. I won't ask anymore," she teased.

Xigbar tightened his grip on her, giving her a look that clearly said to stop fooling around. "It's all right, Sass."

Kairi leaned into him, smiling.

Xigbar grinned back, kissing her.

XXXX

"Wait, _what_?" Yuffie squealed, leaning across the lunchroom table to grin at Demyx.

Demyx blushed lightly, tossing one of the tomatoes from his sandwich at her. Ignoring her shriek and dodge, he spoke, "Why are you so surprised?"

Yuffie kicked the tomato away from her and smiled, "I dunno. I'm happy for you, but I'm not gonna give you up without a fight."

Demyx raised an eyebrow, "And yet when you have your flings with Tidus, you fully expect me to just sit back and do nothing."

Yuffie shrugged, "That's completely different. Tidus and I never last long. You and Zexion are probably going to last a long time."

Demyx smiled at her, "Hah, I knew you cared."

Yuffie pointed at him, "Sure. But never repeat that out of this lunchroom."

"Oh, so I can shout it to the lunchroom if I want?" Demyx smirked.

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him before ducking to avoid another flying tomato.

"Next time you see him, will you be nice?" Demyx asked, "I don't want to lose you either, you know." he smiled.

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "You're not losing anyone."

"Is that a 'Yes, Dem, I'll be nice'?"

Yuffie reached over to smack him.

XXXX

Ahh, they're all so happy aren't they? *insert evil grin here*

Well, almost all of our couples are together now, yay! And now some of you are staring at that 'almost' going, 'who's left?'.

I'm a bit cruel, aren't I? Blame Cami. I'm waiting for her to be done with the semester so we can write and it's making me think of more and more horrible plot things! :D

Reviews are lovely little surprises! ;)


	40. It's Green Green

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

"God, I feel like I haven't been in here in forever," Riku said, sitting on the edge of Sora's bed and looking around his room.

Sora shut his door behind him and raised an eyebrow, "Really? Has it been a while?"

"Usually we're downstairs or out somewhere or at my place," Riku nodded.

"Oh." Sora said, before sitting down next to Riku on his bed, "I guess I didn't notice." he smiled.

Riku chuckled. "It still looks the same, though. Remember when we put that bookcase together?" He asked, gesturing at the slightly-crooked shelving in the corner.

Sora groaned, "Yes, and I still have the scar on my arm to prove that we were horrible at it."

"Hey, once we stopped the bleeding, we got it done," Riku said, defending their younger selves.

"Thinking back on that, it probably would have been safer to forget the bookshelf and go to a hospital." Sora mused.

Riku picked up Sora's arm, bringing it to his face and giving it a kiss. "You were all right, eventually. And it doesn't still hurt, right?" He grinned.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Well, no, but it was like three years ago."

"Exactly," Riku's grin widened.

Sora rolled his eyes. "C'mere," he said, twisting the arm that was still in Riku's loose grip so that he could tug Riku closer and kiss him.

Riku smiled, eagerly kissing him back before pulling away, still holding him close. "So what did you want to do today?"

Sora shrugged, "I don't know. The girls mentioned something about a movie marathon in a couple of hours, didn't they?"

"Yeah, but we have some time before they'll be over," Riku pointed out.

"Mmm, true." Sora nodded, "I don't know."

Riku rolled his eyes, "Well you're no help." He glanced around the room, looking for anything to entertain themselves with for a bit, only coming up with fond memories instead.

Sora glanced around the room as well, but couldn't think of anything, "I'm not very organized, am I?" he asked.

"Not really," Riku agreed, laughing. "I remember you constantly losing things in here, especially my things." He poked his boyfriend's shoulder.

Sora put his hands up in defense, "I give them back when I find them!"

"You never did find that one sweatshirt," Riku mused.

"Ah, actually..." Sora trailed off, "Found it. Kept it. I really liked it." he flushed.

Riku narrowed his eyes, "Oh, really? I think you should get me a new one, then. Or at least give me one of yours."

"You can have one of mine if you want." Sora shrugged, "Do you?"

"Only if it's clean," Riku half-joked.

Sora smacked him.

Riku stared at him, open-mouthed, before smirking and pouncing, pinning Sora to the bed and proceeding to mercilessly tickle him.

Sora squeaked, attempting to get Riku off of him or at least turn the tables on him. Pinned to the bed with no other options, he used his free hand to grab Riku's shirt and pulled him down, kissing him in the attempt to distract him away from tickling.

Riku pulled back just long enough to mumble, "cheater," before stopping to tickle him and concentrating on kissing him instead.

Sora smirked.

Riku pulled back a minute later, letting go completely of Sora and holding his body above the brunette's. He smiled softly before moving to get up.

"Why are you moving?" Sora asked, pulling him back down, "You're not supposed to move."

Riku laughed, "Oh really?" More seriously, he said, "I don't know, I thought you'd find it a bit weird if I continued to practically lie on top of you."

Sora shrugged, "Didn't really notice."

Riku rolled his eyes, "And now that I've pointed it out?"

Sora just shrugged again.

Shaking his head, Riku resettled himself above Sora before leaning down to kiss him again.

Sora smirked, pulling him in. After a moment, when Riku broke the kiss for air, Sora spoke, "You really don't need to walk on eggshells around me anymore, Riku."

"I will always 'walk on eggshells' around you," Riku said, shaking his head again. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not going to." Sora insisted.

Riku kissed him, resting his forehead on the brunette's. "I love you, Sora."

"Love you too." Sora smiled, pulling Riku back in for another kiss.

A little shocked, Riku kissed him back automatically, staring at him once they broke away with something like awe on his face.

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Not used to you reacting like Nam when Reno kisses her." he commented.

"I..." Slowly, he shook his head. "You surprised me, I wasn't expecting..." Riku kissed him, hard and fast. "God, Sora, you're so amazing." Grinning, he kissed him again before he could respond. "I love you," He said happily, pulling back finally.

"Just get back down here." Sora said, pulling him back down.

Riku grinned, gladly complying.

XXXX

Axel walked back into the living room, handing Roxas his drink and sitting down.

Roxas grinned, taking a sip and placing it onto the table. "Thanks."

Axel smiled, leaning back and taking a sip of his own drink.

Roxas leaned in to him, focusing on the TV. "How was work?"

Axel shrugged, shifting so his arm was around the blonde, "Work was work. I don't like work. How were classes? Do you like them so far?"

"They're all right," Roxas said. "No better or worse than last semester. I'm still finishing up those standard classes everyone has to take, so..."

Axel nodded, "Hated them too." he shrugged.

"Yeah," Roxas sighed, "I still don't know what major I should do."

"Well, what do you like to do?" Axel asked, "It was an easy choice for me, but that's just because I was painting constantly."

Roxas shrugged, "I don't know."

"Well, that's exceedingly unhelpful." Axel commented.

"You sound like my advisor," Roxas groaned.

Axel squeezed him before leaning down to give him a kiss, "Well, I hope your advisor doesn't do that." he smiled.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Of course not."

"Good." Axel chuckled, "You just need to find something you enjoy that the school offers as a major."

"Yeah," Roxas sighed. "Well, whatever. I have time to figure it out."

"True, true." Axel nodded.

"What about you, why don't you have an art job?" Roxas asked, looking up at Axel.

"Can't find one," he said, "I sell paintings occasionally, but not often enough to actually pay for anything."

"Oh," Roxas said. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to live off of your art one day." He smiled.

"Hope so." Axel smiled.

"I know so," Roxas said confidently. "Your work is amazing."

Axel smiled again, "Thanks, Roxas."

Roxas leaned up to kiss him softly before smiling and shifting closer.

Axel readjusted, smiling again and kissing him once more.

"Any luck looking for a car?" Roxas asked.

"You'll have to ask Cloud, since he said he'd keep an eye out for me." Axel shrugged.

"Ah," Roxas said.

Axel smiled, "I'll find something." he said.

Roxas nodded, "Of course you will."

XXXX

Riku sighed, turning off the movie and putting on a random TV show, glancing at the other three in amusement. Namine was slumped onto Kairi, who in turn was curled up on Sora, all three asleep. Lowering the volume, Riku grabbed the snacks and drinks, carrying them into the kitchen and cleaning up a bit. Just as he was walking back into the living room, there was a knock at the door.

Veering off in that direction, he pulled the door open, blinking at Xigbar.

"Hey, Riku. Kairi here?" Xigbar asked.

"Um. Yeah. She's here, but she's asleep." Riku explained, opening the door wider so Xigbar could come in.

Xigbar frowned slightly as he closed the door behind him. "Asleep, huh?"

"Yeah. You here to pick her up or something?" Riku asked.

"Yup, we have a date. When no one answered at her place, I figured I'd check here." Xigbar shrugged.

"Well, I don't know if you want to wake her up or wait. Whichever's fine." Riku shrugged, leading him into the living room and sitting down into his chair.

Xigbar whistled softly. "They all passed out like that?"

"Yeah, we were having a movie marathon. Kairi was the first to fall asleep, and I guess she made Sora and Namine tired, too." Riku explained.

"It looks like they made a Kairi sandwich." Xigbar observed, noting how his girlfriend was practically curled up on Sora's lap.

"They used to sleep together as kids." Riku shrugged.

"Ahh. How long have they been out?" Xigbar asked.

"A while. If you want to wake them, go ahead." Riku said.

Xigbar nodded, approaching Namine and gently shaking her and Kairi. "Ladies? Time to get up now."

Namine stirred slowly, lifting herself off of her twin. "Xigbar?"

"Hiya, Namine." Xigbar grinned. "Mind helping me wake Kairi? We've got a date."

"Oh!" Namine exclaimed, now fully awake and nudging her sister. "Get up, Kairi. You have company."

Kairi jolted awake, accidentally kneeing Sora in the process, "Fuck, Kairi, get off me!" he said, shoving her lightly. She shifted, rubbing her eyes.

"Xigbar?" she asked, surprised, "What time is it?"

Xigbar chuckled, "It's 8, Red," as Namine stood and stretched before excusing herself to the kitchen for a drink.

Riku winced, "You okay, Sora?"

"Ah, fuck." Kairi cursed, "I'm sorry, I had every intention of actually being at my house for you to pick me up." she apologized. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Sora grumbled, not really angry at Kairi, and nodded, standing up and stretching.

Xigbar sat down in Sora's vacated space as Riku quickly pulled the brunette onto his lap. "That's okay, Red. We don't have to go out if you're tired."

Kairi shook her head, "No, no, definitely want to." she smiled, "Just lemme run home and change and I'll be ready."

"You look beautiful as is, Sass, you always do," Xigbar grinned.

Riku smirked at the pair of them, holding Sora closer as Namine walked back into the room, sitting in the other chair, also smiling at the couple on the couch.

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Come on." she said, standing up and tugging at Xigbar, "See you guys later." she waved to the others.

"Have fun," Namine waved back.

"Yeah, see you guys later," Riku nodded.

Xigbar let Kairi pull him out, grinning at the others.

Kairi looked down at herself as they walked back down the street towards her house, "I really should change." she commented.

"You look gorgeous, Red," Xigbar squeezed her hand. "Promise."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "All right, all right, so where are we going?"

"Dinner. Unless you aren't hungry? Really, Sass, you should know by now that I'll go wherever you want." Xigbar winked.

"I'm hungry." Kairi nodded, "Dinner sounds good." she smiled.

"Okay. You want pizza or Chinese or a real restaurant?" Xigbar asked, opening the door to his car and gesturing Kairi in.

Kairi sat down and waited for Xigbar to get in as well before speaking, "Anywhere except Chinese is good for me."

"Well, the pizza place is by the college, so we're bound to run into students there. And the only decent restaurant in town besides the Chinese place is Reno's bar. Of course, we could go out of town..." Xigbar trailed off, raising an eyebrow at Kairi, waiting for her response.

Kairi shrugged, smiling, "Well, then let's cross the pizza place off."

"So Reno's place or somewhere fancier? Your choice, Red," Xigbar smiled.

"Stop making me make decisionsssss." she whined.

"It's not that hard, Sass," Xigbar said, amused. Leaning over, he kissed her before pulling back, "Now pick one."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "Reno's place is good." she smiled.

"It is," Xigbar nodded. "Does that mean you wanna go there for dinner or are you just making that observation, Sass?" Xigbar smirked, enjoying teasing his girlfriend a little.

Kairi rolled her eyes and pulled him over so she could kiss him.

Xigbar kissed her back. "Reno's it is," He chuckled, starting the car.

XXXX

Axel glanced at the hallway as Demyx and Zexion's voices began to reach him and Roxas, who were still sitting on the couch. He couldn't make out much of it, but they seemed to be going in circles about whether or not they were going ice skating.

Roxas looked at Axel. "Umm... do you think they're fighting or something?"

"Those two?" Axel raised an eyebrow, "I don't think so. But they're definitely not coming to an agreement."

"Maybe you should go pop in on them. They're your roommates, after all," Roxas said, nudging Axel.

Axel grabbed one of the empty cans of soda they'd finished earlier and threw it at the wall above the TV. "Zex! Dem! Get out here!"

The door banged open and Zexion strode out, glaring at the redhead. "Did you just _throw_ something at my wall?" he demanded.

Axel couldn't hold back a smile, "It got you out here, right?"

Demyx followed Zexion out, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you that lazy that you couldn't simply walk down the hall and knock or are you that barbaric?" Zexion asked. "And you!" He rounded on Roxas. "Why didn't you stop him? I thought that with Axel dating you, he'd finally start behaving."

"Whoah, Zex." Demyx put a hand on Zexion's shoulder, "I feel obligated to ask where the anger came from."

Zexion stared at him a moment. "You don't mind that in order to get our attention, he threw something at our wall?"

"A minute ago it was 'my wall' and now it's 'our wall'?" Roxas muttered under his breath.

"I don't mind as much as you do." Demyx shrugged.

"Apparently," Zexion said. "What did you want, anyway?" He asked Axel.

"You guys were going in circles with whatever you were arguing about." Axel said, "So, I wanted to check to make sure you were okay. But I was too lazy to move, so I made you come to me."

Demyx sighed.

"We weren't arguing," Zexion glared. "We were merely having a small disagreement."

"About?" Axel pressed.

"Demyx would like us to go ice skating together and I'd rather not speed around on frozen water with sharp blades strapped to my feet." Zexion explained.

"But it's fun!" Demyx protested, "And Cloud bought us the ice skates."

"I know but I just can't see it ending well. I have no intentions of getting hurt or humiliated." Zexion said.

"Would I let you get hurt or humiliated?" Demyx asked.

"Not on purpose but you can't control everything." Zexion pointed out.

Demyx shook his head, "Zex, it'll be fine."

"But..." Zexion frowned.

"For the love of god, will you two just go already?" Roxas snapped. "Look, everyone falls on their ass the first time they try it but it's really easy to get the hang of and a lot of fun and you'll never know until you try it. If you don't like it you can just leave, but you have to at least get there and try first."

Demyx nodded, "What Roxas said."

Zexion bit his bottom lip, looking from Demyx's pleading face to Roxas' no-nonsense look, gaze landing on Axel. "What do you think?" he asked the redhead.

"I think you should go." Axel answered, "But why are you asking me? Ice isn't really my thing, you know that."

Zexion sighed. "Fine. I'll go. But don't be surprised when it goes horribly."

"Sure, fine. Have fun!" Roxas said, waving them away.

Demyx grinned, "Awesome. Thanks for the help!" he waved to Axel and Roxas and dragged Zexion back into their room.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "They are kind of so sweetly adorable it makes you sick," he muttered to Axel, smiling when minutes later Demyx was pulling Zexion past them and out of the house, carrying both pairs of ice skates.

"Yeah," Axel chuckled, pulling Roxas closer.

XXXX

"Green. Like, green green." Zack said, explaining to Riku and Reno his color choice for the nursery in his apartment.

"Not lime green, right?" Riku clarified.

"No, like grass green. Real green, you know? That way, if it's a boy, it's not a girly color, but if it's a girl, it's still a soothing color, you know?" Zack asked.

Riku glanced at Reno skeptically, nodding at Zack. "Sure, Zack."

"How is 'green green' supposed to explain anything?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

"That's the type of green it is!" Zack insisted.

"It doesn't matter how many times you say 'green', it does not change the color." Reno rolled his eyes.

"But, Reno, honest! It's green green! Like, really green!" Zack said, pouting slightly.

"He has a point, Zack." Aerith said from the doorway, "But it really is a nice color." she smiled.

"How else can you describe it, then?" Riku asked his sister.

"It's the color of Reno's eyes." she shrugged.

"Hmmm." Zack said, scooting closer to Reno and staring intently into his eyes, their faces inching apart.

"Why are you painting your kids room the color of my eyes?" Reno teased. "Trying to say something there, Zack?"

"I always thought your eyes were blue," Zack muttered, finally pulling back.

Riku couldn't help it, he started laughing.

Aerith giggled, and Reno huffed, "No, they're green, and they've always been green, thank you."

"I'm sorry! I don't spend all day staring into your eyes. I bet Namine knows what color they are," Zack grinned. "Hey! What color are mine?" He closed his eyes.

Reno answered that by smacking him with one of the blue pillows on the couch.

Zack toppled backwards, quickly righting himself. "Reeenooo!" He whined. "Don't be mean!"

Reno laughed.

Zack pouted before climbing back up onto the couch and playfully shoving Reno. "C'mon, you know I'm your best friend."

Riku grinned, "He's got you there, Reno."

"Yes, and unlike you, I know your eyes are blue." Reno responded.

"Aw, Reno! I'm sorry!" Zack tackled him, giving him a squeeze. "Say you forgive me or I won't let you up."

Riku glanced at Aerith, "Why are they always like this?"

Aerith giggled, "Because they're Reno and Zack. Would these get togethers be the same if they weren't?"

Riku shook his head, laughing. "I guess not."

"C'mon, Reno, I'm really sorry!" Zack pouted atop his redheaded best friend.

"All right, all right, just get off of me!" Reno laughed, pushing Zack off.

Zack grinned, climbing off of him. "You'll have to come over soon to see the green green!"

Reno smacked him with the pillow again, "That's for climbing on top of me."

Zack clutched the pillow, pouting. "I'll tell Namine how mean you're being," he threatened.

"All right, all right." Aerith interrupted, "Dinner will be ready in a minute." she laughed.

"Sorry Aerith, did you need help?" Zack asked.

She chuckled and shook her head, "Nope, I'm fine."

"Okay. I'll set the table, though!" Zack said, springing up and going into the kitchen to grab some plates.

Riku laughed and shook his head, noticing that both Aerith and Reno were smiling, too.

Continuing to smile, Aerith waved to her two brothers and followed her husband into the kitchen.

XXXX

Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate that, Happy Holidays! If you don't celebrate those, Happy New Year! If you don't celebrate that, Happy December-insert-date-here!

:D


	41. Hay's Not Gay

"We should do something soon." Kairi commented, drawing circles on the sheet of paper in front of her. She was _supposed_ to be doing homework, but once she started, she'd found herself bored out of her mind. Calling her boyfriend was a _lot_ more appealing.

_"I thought you had a ton of homework to get through,"_ Xigbar chuckled.

"Please don't mention the homework." Kairi whined.

_"Hey, Namine will blame _me_ if you don't do it, Red!"_

"I'll make sure she doesn't." Kairi grinned, even though Xigbar couldn't see her, "Come on, pleeeease... I'll do it laterrrr."

Xigbar sighed, _"What did you have in mind, then, Sass? Dinner? Movie?"_

"I'm fine with anything that isn't homework." she smiled.

_"How about you just come over here, then? We can just veg and hang out. Oh, hey, you should bring some homework with you! We could come up a very interesting reward system, I bet."_

Kairi grinned. "Alriiiight, I guess I could." she smirked.

_"Great. See you soon, then? Drive safe, Red."_

"I will." Kairi smiled, "See you in a few." She stuffed her phone in her pocket, hopping up and grabbing her two textbooks and her notebook, balancing them as she reached for her purse. Satisfied that she had everything, she dashed out of the room.

Hearing Kairi moving about, Namine walked out of the kitchen where she'd been grabbing a snack. "I thought you had homework to do?"

"I'm bringing it over to Xigbar's." Kairi answered, gesturing to her textbooks. She stumbled, almost dropping them, but steadied herself.

Namine frowned, "Isn't that a bad idea, though? I'm not sure you'll get anything done if you're with him."

Kairi grinned, "It'll be fiiiine."

"Kairi, you actually need to finish that work on time. You've already gotten two extensions! The professor isn't going to be much more lenient," Namine said sternly.

"But..." Kairi frowned.

"You know you won't get it done if you go over there," Namine said gently.

"Then... then you come with me." Kairi grinned, "You'll make sure I get it done."

"You want me to go with you to your boyfriend's apartment?" Namine asked, surprised.

"Sure. Why not?" Kairi said, _Leon and Seifer will distract her or something..._

"Can't you just stay here and do it? It'll probably get done faster that way. Besides, I have my own things to work on..." Namine said.

"Then bring them. Come on, come onnnn."

"I doubt Xigbar or his roommates will appreciate you inviting me over to their home. Really, Kairi," Namine chastised.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon."

Namine sighed, closing her eyes for a minute. Shaking her head, she smiled at her sister despite herself, "You are incredibly childish sometimes."

"Is that a yes?" Kairi grinned.

"Fine, that's a yes. But we aren't staying long and I swear I will lock you in the closet if you don't get some work done," Namine threatened.

"Fiiiine." Kairi said, "Grab your stuff, come on."

Namine sighed, turning to the stairs to get her things from her room.

Leon grabbed the closest hard object he could find (the TV remote) and chucked it at Seifer's door, "Turn it down, Seifer!" he snapped, glaring at the door.

Xigbar walked out of the kitchen, leaning against the wall with a soda in hand. "Kairi's on her way."

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Are you asking me to leave?"

Xigbar snorted, "There's a lock on my door, ain't there? Nah, just thought I should let you know."

Leon nodded, and then growled in the general direction of Seifer's door as his music got louder.

Rolling his eyes and setting his drink down, Xigbar moved over to Seifer's door, pounding on it until a slightly irate Seifer opened the door. Talking before the blonde had a chance, "Kairi's on her way, just a heads up. Also, lower the volume before Leon strangles you."

Seifer rolled his eyes, "Fine, whatever." he said, clicking the radio off.

"Thanks," Xigbar headed for the couch but veered towards the front door when there was a knock. He pulled it open and grinned, "Hey, Red. And Namine, hi. I didn't know you were coming over, too." He leaned in and kissed Kairi before gesturing them both inside.

Kairi smiled, murmering "It's a long story," as Xigbar pulled away.

"I'm sorry to intrude. But Kairi studying here is a very bad idea and the work is actually due very soon. If I'm not responsible and on top of her for it, she'll neglect to turn it in. Again." Namine explained, smiling a little.

Xigbar chuckled, "No worries, c'mon in. Red, you shoulda told me it was important work."

Kairi pouted.

Shaking his head and slinging his arm around his girlfriend, Xigbar led the pair into the living room. "Leon, this is Namine, Kairi's sister. Namine, Leon."

Namine smiled, "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Namine." Leon nodded.

Seifer, who was still leaning in his doorway, raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so I don't get an introduction? I see how it is."

Xigbar rolled his eyes, "The grumpy one over there is Seifer."

Seifer huffed, "You're not really helping your case."

Kairi laughed.

Smiling, Namine turned to Seifer, "It's nice to meet you."

Xigbar grinned and shook his head at Namine's manners, pulling Kairi down onto the couch with him.

"Nice to meet you too." Seifer smiled, "See, at least she's nice to me." he told Xigbar.

"Well, that makes one person in the country that doesn't want to kill you." Leon commented.

Grabbing the remote off the floor, Seifer chucked it back at Leon, who caught it effortlessly and rolled his eyes.

Namine jumped a little, turning to Kairi. "They're violent like you and Sora get, aren't they?" she sighed, taking a seat and opening one of her books.

"I've never tried to murder Sora on purpose." Kairi protested, snuggling into Xigbar.

Xigbar chuckled, pulling her closer, "Does that mean you've almost killed him on accident?"

"Multiple times." Kairi nodded.

Namine sighed while Xigbar laughed. "Kairi, how much work did you get done at home?"

Kairi shrugged, "Not... much?"

"C'mon, Red. Let's see what you've got," Xigbar said, reaching for her books.

Feeling a little out of place, Namine focused on the book on her lap.

Noticing this, Kairi leaned over, whispering in Xigbar's ear, "Can I suggest she invite Reno over?"

"If you want to, Red. She seems focused on her work, though," Xigbar muttered back, smirking a little at the thought of whispering secrets like a teenager again.

"She's uncomfortable." Kairi murmured, before turning to Namine, "Hey, Nam, why don't you call Reno?"

Namine looked up at her, "Kairi, really, this isn't your home to invite people to!" She shook her head, "Besides, I'm sure he's busy."

"I asked first." Kairi rolled her eyes, "Come onnnn."

Namine glanced at Leon and Seifer, "I really don't think it's a good idea to invite him over here. Please just do your homework and stop procrastinating."

Kairi stuck her tongue out and pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialing Reno's number.

"Kairi! Not again!" Namine groaned, blushing lightly.

Kairi smirked, as Reno picked up the phone, _"Kairi? Everything okay?"_

"Yeah, of course." Kairi spoke, "Hey, Namine and I are over at Xigbar's. You busy?"

"_Not really. Why?"_

"She's uncomfortable and wants you here."

Fighting the urge to put her face in her hands, Namine forced a smile, "I'm very sorry, she's usually much better behaved."

Kairi stuck her tongue out at her.

"_Haha, well, then I'll have to come right over. You sure it's alright?"_

"Of course." Kairi smiled, rattling off the address, "See you soon." She hung up.

"There are days when I question how exactly we are related," Namine said completely seriously, face a bright red.

"Which is a little sad, actually, considering that we're identical twins." Kairi mused.

"Dad could've gotten confused. It's happened," Namine mused.

Kairi rolled her eyes.

"...You're not getting any work done today, are you?" Namine asked.

"The evening is young." Kairi shrugged.

Namine shook her head, glancing at Xigbar, "If I call him now, I can probably convince Reno not to rush over here." She looked to Leon and Seifer. "Actually, maybe I should just leave..."

"You don't need to go anywhere." Leon insisted, "We really don't mind." he assured her, chucking the remote back at Seifer, making him duck. The remote crashed into something inside of the room.

Namine looked to where the remote had disappeared, "That didn't sound good..."

"Relax, they break things all the time," Xigbar snorted.

"Yes, because that's a reason to relax." Leon rolled his eyes.

"Do you need help?" Namine called after Seifer, who had gone to see what he broken.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Seifer called back as the doorbell rang.

Xigbar pulled away from Kairi, "I got it." He walked over to the door and Namine's blush, which had just started to fade, flared up again.

Kairi grinned at her sister.

Pulling open the door, Xigbar grinned at Reno, "Hey. See you made it okay."

Reno smiled, "Wasn't exactly hard to find." he shrugged, "Sure it's okay if I'm here?"

"'Course. You're welcome to hang here whenever, but honestly, this time Kairi's gotten Namine all flustered," Xigbar murmured.

Reno chuckled, "Alright, thanks." he said.

Xigbar nodded, shutting the door behind the redhead and leading him inside. "Right, Reno, this is Leon and the one in that room over there is Seifer, they're my roommates. Guys, this is Reno, Namine's boyfriend." He sat and pulled Kairi onto his lap, hating making introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Reno nodded, walking over to Namine.

Leon nodded, and Seifer just grumbled something from inside his room.

Namine looked up at Reno and managed a smile, clutching her book tightly. "Hello."

Xigbar buried his face into Kairi's hair to avoid laughing.

Reno chuckled, giving her a kiss, "You alright?"

Namine sighed, "Yes."

Reno raised an eyebrow.

Pulling himself together, Xigbar spoke up since it was clear Namine wasn't going to, "Right. So they've both got work to do but Kairi wanted to hang here so Namine, good sister she is, tagged along to make sure Red actually, you know, got her stuff done, but then it got awkward and Sass thought she'd better call you up, which of course only made Namine more embarrassed or whatever, and yet, here we are. Hell. I need a drink." He kissed Kairi's cheek before standing and heading to the kitchen.

Kairi shifted back into a comfortable position now that she was on the couch instead of on her boyfriend's lap and smiled at Reno, "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"No problem." Reno chuckled.

Still blushing, Namine asked, "Don't you have work tonight?"

"Not for a few hours." Reno shrugged.

"You should be sleeping," Namine murmured.

"I'll be fine." he chuckled.

Xigbar, just walking back into the room, cursed when there was a knock on the door. "Red, you invite someone else?" he asked as he made his way over.

Kairi shook her head, "Wasn't me."

Xigbar frowned, pulling the door open.

"Hiya! Is this Leon's place?" Zack asked.

"Uh, yeah. C'mon in. Leon, you got company," Xigbar called out, shutting the door behind the newcomer.

Leon raised an eyebrow as Zack and Xigbar walked back in, "Zack?"

Reno turned around, surprised, "What're _you_ doing here?" he asked his brother-in-law, surprised.

"Whoa, Reno! I didn't know you would be here! And hey, Namine's here too! Oh and Kairi! Wow! Leon, are you having a party?" Zack asked, plopping onto the couch next to Kairi and grinning.

"You all... know each other?" Xigbar said, lifting Kairi up and sitting down with her back on his lap.

Kairi laughed, "Nice to see you again, Zack."

"I'm not having a party." Leon rolled his eyes, "Kairi is dating Xigbar." he said, assuming that Zack knew Reno and Namine's relationship.

"Sorry, so who are you?" Xigbar asked.

"I'm Zack!" Zack said with a grin.

Kairi chuckled and stepped in to explain, "He's Reno's brother-in-law." she said.

"And friends with Cloud." Leon added, "Which is how I know him."

"Speaking of, where is Cloudy? Leon, it's very rude to have a party and not invite your boyfriend!" Zack chastised, before turning to Namine. "You're awful quiet. Reno kiss you?"

Namine blinked, "No. Well, yes, but... Today has been a strange day."

"Ah," Zack nodded sagely, "Tomorrow will be better."

Kairi laughed, leaning back against Xigbar.

"So, what brings you by, Zack?" Leon asked, changing the subject.

"Oh! Right, well I wanted to say thanks again for all the stuff from your store! And I thought we could hang out," Zack shrugged. "Also, Cloud's busy and Aerith kicked me out," he grinned.

Leon chuckled and Reno snorted, "What did you do to make Aerith kick you out?"

"Nothing! She just wants some quiet time," Zack said. "Reno? Why're you just standing there?"

Reno glanced around and shrugged, before mimicking Xigbar and lifting up Namine long enough to slip in under her so that she was sitting on his lap. "Sorry, you're probably not going to get too much homework done." he muttered.

Namine's blush brightened once more and she just closed her eyes, giving up.

Zack laughed, "Your sister sure blushes a lot, huh?"

"She's easily embarrassed." Kairi shrugged.

"Well, I guess no one's doing any homework today, huh, Red? Bet you're happy. You know you'll have to do it tomorrow, now," Xigbar said.

Kairi stuck her tongue out at him, "I'll deal with that tomorrow."

"I always hated homework," Zack commented. "Remember, Reno? Me and you would hide in your room and Aerith'd be banging on the door, demanding to see our finished assignments?"

"My door suffered quite a bit of damage, didn't it?" Reno chuckled.

"I never realized you were friends with Reno before you were together with Aerith," Namine commented, seeming settled and leaning into Reno.

"Zack only met Aerith because he was friends with me." Reno chuckled, "Actually, he should probably be more grateful about that."

"I'm plenty grateful! You should be thanking me 'cause I'm such an awesome brother-in-law!" Zack grinned.

Reno rolled his eyes, "Right, of course."

"How did you end up with Aerith?" Namine asked, curious.

Reno sighed, knowing what was coming.

"Well I of course knew her as Reno's sister, 'cause I was constantly hanging out at their house, but I didn't really notice her like that until she started college as we were seniors in high school. Wow did it hit me Reno's sister was hot! But she had a boyfriend so I had to wait." Zack sighed, smiling.

XXXX

"Is your sister home?" Zack asked, following Reno into his house.

"Hell if I know." Reno shrugged, "I don't have her schedule memorized."

Zack rolled his eyes, "You astound me. The was my word of the day. Astound."

Reno smacked him, walking into the living room.

Aerith, who had been sitting on the couch, looked up, surprised, quickly wiping at her eyes, "Oh, Reno. You're home early."

Zack grinned, "Hi Aerith! How was your day?"

"Hi Zack." Aerith said, not answering his question.

"You alright?" Reno frowned.

"I'm fine." Aerith insisted, standing up and smiling slightly, before heading into the kitchen.

"Something happen?" Zack asked, glancing from Reno to the doorway where Aerith had disappeared and back.

"No idea." Reno said.

Zack rolled his eyes, shoving his backpack into Reno's arms, "Well _someone_ has to find out!"

Blinking, Reno frowned, "Wait, Zack, what are you doing?"

"Going after her. Duh," Zack said, heading for the kitchen.

Aerith was leaning against the counter, eyes a little red. She looked up as Zack walked in.

"Hey, are you okay?" Zack asked, taking a step to her before standing there a little awkwardly.

"I'm fine." Aerith insisted, "Why?"

"Are you... crying? C'mon Aerith, what happened?" Zack asked, really concerned.

Aerith shook her head, turning away, "I'm not crying."

"Don't lie," Zack said, placing his hand on her shoulder and turning her gently. "What's wrong?"

Aerith shook her head again.

From the doorway, Reno spoke up, "Ri, what did he do?"

Aerith glanced up, but shook her head, "Nothing." she said, "Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine." she said, slipping out of the room.

"He who?" Zack frowned, wanting to follow her but waiting for an answer.

"Her boyfriend." Reno said, frowning and crossing his arms, "Judging by how upset she is, I'm guessing ex-boyfriend."

Zack's frown deepened before a look of determination settled on his face and he marched out of the kitchen after Aertith.

"Zack, what are you doing?" Reno called after him, surprised.

Zack turned back to face Reno, "I'm taking your sister out tonight. Reno, I'm gonna marry her one day." Nodding, he turned and went after her, ignoring Reno now.

Reno raised an eyebrow, but decided it was probably better to let Zack do what he wanted. Besides, Aerith could take care of herself.

Walking up to Aerith's bedroom door, Zack knocked, "Aerith, it's Zack. If you don't open the door I'll be forced to do something drastic like use Reno as a battering ram."

Aerith opened the door, frowning.

Zack smiled, "Grab your coat, c'mon, c'mon!"

"Why am I grabbing my coat?" Aerith hesitated.

"'Cause we're going out! Wherever you wanna go, but we're going!" Zack's grin faded a bit. "He's a complete jerk for hurting you and couldn't see how amazing you are. You deserve so much better, Aerith. C'mon, I'm taking you out!"

Aerith hesitated again, "Zack..."

"He doesn't deserve your tears. C'mon, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer! You can't stay here and be upset - we'll have fun, I promise!" Zack pleaded.

Aerith frowned, but grabbed her coat, "Alright..." she said, not sure why she was going along with this.

"Yes!" Zack grinned, grabbing her hands and twirling her in a circle. "Dinner? A movie? Oh, bowling! We could go bowling! Or on a picnic! Or a nature hike! Or to see a play with real live actors!"

Aerith blinked, "Umm..."

Zack laughed. "Whatever you want! Oh! I've got it! I know where we're going first! C'mon, c'mon!" He took her coat from her, holding it up to help her put it on.

Aerith squeaked, still a little overwhelmed.

Finished helping her put it on, Zack took her hand and grinned, "Ice cream. We're going to get ice cream. And it's going to be such amazing ice cream that you will never ever cry again."

Aerith hesitated, but glancing at Zack's face, she smiled slightly.

Zack smiled and started pulling her to the door, "This is going to be one of the most amazing nights out ever!"

XXXX

"And that's when we started dating. And I did marry her, just like I told Reno. And hey, that _was_ some pretty good ice cream... you wouldn't happen to have any, would you Leon?" Zack asked with a grin.

Reno groaned, "Zack, you don't just ask people if they have ice cream." he said, sighing.

Zack blinked, "Why not? I ask you for stuff all the time."

Namine smiled, now completely cheered up from the fact that Kairi had basically tricked her... again.

"That's completely different, Zack." Reno sighed, "For one, _you're married to my sister._"

"And Leon's dating my other best friend!" Zack said.

"But you aren't married to Leon's sister!" Reno protested.

"Why are you so worried about marriage all of a sudden? Should Namine be blushing?" Zack asked, slightly exasperated.

Predictably, Namine blushed.

Kairi laughed as Reno glared, "Zack, be careful, the closest things that could be projectiles are Namine's heavy Psych textbooks."

"You keep abusing me, maybe I'll make Leon my new other best friend!" Zack threatened.

Xigbar snickered.

Reno stuck his tongue out, "You can't get rid of me, I'm your brother-in-law."

"That doesn't mean we have to be friends - you just got lucky your only friend married your sister," Zack stuck his tongue out right back at the redhead.

XXXX

Hayner dropped his bag by the door, shutting it behind him and slipping off his sneakers. He headed to the kitchen for a drink, calling out as he went, "Olette? You back yet?"

"Yeah, I'm in the living room!" Olette called back.

Switching directions, Hayner headed in there instead, "How was the lab?"

Olette just groaned.

"'Least it's done, right? And hey, you're back earlier than I thought you'd be," Hayner shrugged.

"True." Olette sighed, "So, what were you up to all day while I was risking potential chemical death?"

Hayner blushed lightly, "Nothing. Class."

Olette raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't look like the blushing face of someone who was in class all day." she commented.

Hayner blew out a breath, "Look, Roxas is being a smug dick right now and you have labs and I didn't have a chance to tell you... Oh, hell." Refusing to look at her, he mumbled, "I'm dating Seifer."

Olette watched his face for a moment to see if he was joking before squealing, "Hayner, I'm so happy for you!"

Blushing brighter, Hayner said, "Thanks, I guess."

"See, Roxas _tried_ to tell you that you were gay." she grinned.

"What? I'm not gay!" Hayner yelled, face heating up even more.

Olette raised an eyebrow, "But you're dating Seifer. He _is_ a guy, you know."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make me gay," Hayner said firmly.

"It _at least_ makes you bisexual." Olette countered.

Hayner rolled his eyes, "I don't like _guys_, Olette."

Olette took a deep breath, "Hayner. You're _dating Seifer_. He is a _guy._ This means that you like a guy. Thus, you are in the very least bisexual."

"No I'm not!" Hayner yelled. "I like women! Seifer's just the exception or something."

Olette sighed, letting her head fall into her hands, groaning, "I don't know why I bother."

Hayner rolled his eyes, "See? This is why I didn't tell you when it happened! As it is Rox never shuts up anymore!"

Olette threw the closest pillow at him, grumbling something about wondering how Hayner ever got in college.

Hayner threw his hands up in the air, "Whatever. I'm going now. And you can have the car tomorrow night, too. Seifer and I are gonna grab dinner after class."

Olette sighed, "Well, have fun."

"Thanks," Hayner muttered and started to leave before cursing and turning back around. "Roxas will literally kill me if I don't ask - you don't, like, wanna meet him or anything, right? Roxas is so paranoid."

"I'm sure I'll meet him eventually." Olette laughed, "I don't need a formal introduction. Besides, I helped you stalk him."

"Right," Hayner nodded. "Good."

Olette laughed again.

"I'll be in my room," Hayner said, leaving the room and heading back towards the kitchen first.

XXXX

Can I just say, I absolutely love Zack? He's just the most fun to write, ever!

Oh, Hayner, you are so confused :D

Well, kiddies, I hope you liked it 'cause the next chapter is anything but fluffy... Prepare the angst train!

:D Review, please. It feeds my insanity.


	42. Beware Pregnant Aerith

Cloud glanced up as Zexion walked into the kitchen, "Snack break?"

Zexion nodded, "I'm between books at the moment, so yes."

Cloud nodded back, flipping through the channels of the TV as Zexion poured himself a drink.

Axel leaned back in his chair, "Will you just decide already?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"There's nothing good on!" Cloud protested, throwing the remote to Axel as Zexion came into the room with his drink and an apple, sitting on the couch.

Axel caught the remote, laughing and flipping through to see if he could find something.

Zexion took a bite of his snack, slightly amused as he watched Axel flip through the channels. His phone started buzzing in his pocket, the ring catching up a second later.

Setting down the food, he pulled it out and frowned slightly at the number, getting up to move into the kitchen away from the television noise as he answered it, "This is Zexion."

Cloud watched him leave, shrugging at Axel.

"What?" Zexion asked, abruptly sitting at the table. "How did it happen?"

Axel glanced over at Cloud, frowning.

"Are they... how bad is it?" Zexion asked. A beat later, he snapped, "Just tell me, Saix!"

"Zex? Everything okay?" Cloud called, also frowning.

"I... no, not unless... Yes. Yes, I understand. No, I won't drive myself. Yes, ten minutes. Five if Axel drives." Zexion said, closing his eyes, knuckles white as he gripped his phone.

Axel put the remote down, standing up and walking over towards Zexion.

Zexion nodded, "Thank you Saix." He hung up and just sat there, motionless.

Cloud approached and shared a look with Axel, hesitantly saying, "Zex?"

Zexion made no move to answer.

Axel put a hand on Zexion's shoulder, "Zexion, what happened?"

"I need someone to drive me to the hospital. Saix is waiting there," Zexion said.

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

"My parents' jet crashed just outside the airport. This is the closest hospital. Saix is unsure if they'll make it," Zexion said, no emotion in his voice.

Axel looked up at Cloud, before pulling Zexion up out his chair as kindly as he could, "I'll drive. Start calling people." he told Cloud, leading Zexion towards the car without even bothering to find a coat.

Cloud ran down the hall and grabbed his keys, his wallet, his phone, and slipped on his jacket, hurrying into Axel's room and grabbing the redhead's wallet as well before running back to the living room and grabbing jackets for both of them, hurrying out to the car. He climbed into the backseat and threw Axel's coat at him, handing Zexion's to the teen who mechanically pulled it on.

Slamming back into his seat as Axel peeled out of the driveway, he started dialing.

XXXX

Larxene pulled her phone out of her pocket as it started buzzing, frowning. Cloud knew she was working, why was he calling? Flipping it open, she answered, "Yeah?"

_"Grab Demyx and head to the hospital,"_ Cloud ordered.

Immediately putting down what she was working on, she headed towards the back to grab her keys and Demyx's stuff, "What happened?"

_"Zexion's parents were in an accident, Saix just called. Ax, Zex, and I are on our way,"_ Cloud said, _"And Larx? He said it doesn't look good."_

"Fuck," Larxene cursed, "Alright. We'll be there soon." She shut her phone, grabbing her and Demyx's stuff before racing out of the room, passing Leon on the way.

Startled, Leon grabbed her arm, "What's going on?"

"Leaving." Larxene said, "Taking Dem. Will explain later." she pulled her arm from Leon's running to the front of the store, grabbing Demyx (who was luckily not in the middle of anything), and dragging him out the front doors of the store.

"What's going on?" Demyx asked, frowning.

"Zex's parents were in an accident, we're going to the hospital. Come on, get in the car." She tossed their stuff in the back seat and started her car as Demyx quickly scrambled into the seat opposite her.

XXXX

Leon stared out the doors where Larxene and Demyx had just vanished and pulled his phone out of his pocket. If Larxene _and _Demyx had to go-his thoughts were cut off by his phone ringing.

Checking to see who it was before answering, he spoke, "Had a feeling I'd be hearing from you. What happened?"

_"They left then? Good. Sorry, Leon, but-"_ Cloud cut off with a string of curses, _"Goddammit Axel, take the turns slower, at least! Sorry,"_ he said to Leon again.

"No worries, if both of them had to go, it must be something important." he said, "What happened?"

_"Zexion's parents' were in an accident. We're on our way to the hospital now, but the call we got said it didn't look good,"_ Cloud explained.

Leon frowned, "I'll be there as soon as I can." he said, "Just have to close the store."

_"You don't have to do that,"_ Cloud said, _"I can call you with updates."_

"No, I'm coming." Leon said, "I'll be there soon."

_"...Thank you. Fuck!"_ Cloud swore, _"Sorry. We're here. See you soon, I gotta go."_ Cloud hung up.

Leon put his phone away before moving to clear out his store and get to the hospital.

XXXX

Cloud climbed out of the car along with Axel and Zexion. He squeezed Zex's shoulder as they made their way into the emergency room.

"We should check with someone-" Cloud broke off when Saix walked over to them.

"Zexion, you're here. Thank you, both of you," the lawyer said to Cloud and Axel.

"How are they?" Zexion asked.

"Both in emergency surgery. I've sequestered a private waiting room, if you'll follow me?" Saix led them through the halls to a waiting room, closing the doors behind them.

"What is the extent of their injuries?" Zexion asked.

Saix frowned slightly, but answered: "They both have extensive internal damage and brain trauma. Your mother broke her left arm and leg, cracked four ribs, punctured a lung, and her kidneys are severely damaged. Your father broke both of his legs and dislocated his left shoulder; he also cracked some ribs and he has severe heart damage - he's already flatlined once. Those are the major things, but they both have multiple cuts and bruises covering their bodies."

Zexion paled, "What are their chances?"

Saix hesitated.

"Saix, please, just tell me," Zexion said.

Saix sighed, "At the last update, they were having trouble bringing down the swelling in your mother's brain and stopping the internal bleeding of your father, as well as keeping his heart pumping. I'm sorry, Zexion, but the prognosis is grim."

Zexion exhaled sharply and closed his eyes, hands fisted.

Axel put his hands on Zexion's shoulders, nodding at Saix to thank him before steering the younger boy towards the chairs.

"How did this happen?" Cloud quietly asked Saix, glancing worriedly at Zexion.

"I don't know yet, but an investigation has been launched," Saix answered.

"Was it an accident or a murder attempt?" Cloud asked bluntly.

"It appears accidental; they weren't scheduled to land here but the pilot insisted, not liking the readings he was getting." Saix replied.

Cloud frowned, "How is the pilot?"

"Dead," Saix answered shortly.

"Dammit," Cloud muttered. Clearing his throat, "Have you contacted other family?"

Saix shook his head, "I am their medical proxy and Zexion is the sole heir. I asked him if he would like me to contact the other family, but he declined."

"Thanks," Cloud said, just as Larxene and Demyx walked in and the nurse leading them motioned to Saix.

"Excuse me," Saix walked out of the room.

Demyx immediately hurried over to Zexion, sitting down on the other side of him. Axel glanced at Larx, motioned to Zex, and then stood up, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Larxene nodded.

Axel wandered over to the other side of the room, dialing Roxas's number.

"_Hello?"_ Roxas answered his phone.

"Hey, it's me." Axel spoke.

Roxas sighed, _"Good, I could use a homework break. What's up?"_

"Zex's parents are in the hospital." Axel said, hearing his voice start to shake, "Larx, Cloud, Dem, and I are here with him, but it's not looking too good."

"_Oh my God! What happened?"_ Roxas demanded.

"Plane crash." Axel answered.

"_Oh my God,"_ Roxas repeated, _"Are they...?"_

Axel didn't answer, lowering himself into a chair instead.

Roxas swallowed audibly into the silence, _"I'll be there soon. Where are you in the hospital, what ward? Never mind, I'll find you."_

"You don't have to come over here, Rox..." Axel hesitated.

"_Yes I do. Even if I ignore the fact that I love you and you clearly need me, Zexion is my friend,"_ Roxas said firmly, _"I will be there soon."_

"Thank you." Axel said.

"_Of course. See you soon,"_ Roxas hung up.

Axel put his phone away, standing up and walking back towards the others.

Cloud glanced up from where he was talking to Leon as Axel walked in, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just called Roxas." Axel answered.

Cloud nodded, glancing over to Zexion again before squeezing Leon's hand. Just because he didn't have parents didn't mean he couldn't understand how much this sucked.

Saix slipped back into the room, Zexion meeting his gaze with a question - the question - written on his face. Saix shook his head, "I was just handling some paperwork."

There was a collective sigh as everyone settled in to wait.

Twenty minutes later, Roxas poked his head in, immediately going to Axel, "Finally. Took forever to find you, sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Axel pulled Roxas down next to him. "Thanks for coming."

Roxas shook his head, "There's no place else I'd rather be. Any news?" He glanced worriedly at Zexion.

Axel frowned, "Not yet."

"Have any of you eaten yet?" Roxas asked.

Axel shook his head, "Nah, but we haven't been here that long."

"You should at least have some drinks. Water'd be best. I'll find some," Roxas said, standing up. "Leon, would you help me? Let's get everyone something to drink, okay?"

Leon nodded, squeezing Cloud's hand before standing.

"Thanks," Roxas smiled, winking at Axel just because he could before leaving with Leon.

Roxas glanced sidelong at Leon as they tried to find one of those drink vending machines, "Do you know exactly what happened or how bad it is? Axel didn't really say and I didn't want to push."

"All I really know is that it was a plane crash and it doesn't look good." Leon answered, frowning.

Roxas swallowed, "Are they going to die?"

Leon put a hand on Roxas's shoulder, frowning.

"This sucks," Roxas hissed, stopping with Leon at the machine and kicking it while Leon dug out some money. "Why do parents have to die like that?"

Leon frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked the younger boy.

Roxas took some of the water bottles from Leon as they headed back, "Randomly. Parents are supposed to grow old and die at the age of 92 in their sleep. They shouldn't just be... ripped away."

Leon put a hand on Roxas's shoulder again, "I don't know." he answered, "But... you sound like you're talking from experience."

Roxas shrugged, "My dad died when I was a baby; I didn't know him at all."

Leon frowned, "Ah." he said, "My parents died in a car crash when I was young, so I know where Zexion's coming from. And you too, I suppose."

"Is it worse to have known them for that small amount of time or to not know them at all?" Roxas mused aloud.

"I don't know." Leon sighed.

Before Roxas could respond, a doctor in scrubs hurried part them, heading for the waiting room. Roxas and Leon shared a look before speeding up their steps, entering the room right after the doctor and immediately going to their significant others, waters placed on end tables and forgotten.

Saix walked over to the doctor and Zexion stood up, taking a few steps towards them.

"Mr. Thornton?" the doctor asked.

Saix nodded, "Yes."

The doctor glanced around the room, "Are any of you family of the Corazzas?"

"I'm their son," Zexion answered.

"What is the news, doctor?" Saix asked.

"I'm sorry, but they didn't make it. The extent of their injuries were too severe. We tried our best, but there was nothing we could do. I'm sorry for your loss," the doctor said.

Zexion blinked slowly, exhaling sharply. He wasn't sure what to think at the moment, what to feel.

Demyx came up beside Zexion, taking his hand and squeezing it, a worried frown on his face.

Saix sighed, "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor nodded, "You can make arrangements at the nurses station. Again, I'm terribily sorry." He turned and left.

Saix turn to everyone else, "I'll take care of everything here. I'll need to speak with you about details tomorrow, Zexion, but tonight... go home and get some rest."

Zexion nodded, quietly replying, "Thank you, Saix."

Saix nodded and left.

Roxas leaned into Axel, holding his hand tightly and Cloud sighed heavily, "Zex?"

Zexion blinked, turning to him.

"Saix is right, let's just leave it to him for now. Did you... did you want to... see them before we leave?" Cloud asked.

Zexion shook his head, "No. No. That can wait until... later."

Cloud nodded, leaning slightly into Leon.

Demyx squeezed Zexion's hand again, hesitating and glancing at Larxene and Axel, neither of whom seemed to have any idea what to do.

"Let's go," Zexion said, started the march out of the door.

"Leon, are you coming over?" Cloud asked as they made their way out of the hospital.

Leon nodded, "If you want me to." he answered.

"Thank you," Cloud said quietly.

After a bit of arranging, everyone piled into the cars available and returned to the main house.

Roxas quickly called Sora to let him know he was staying at Axel's before also ordering a few pizzas. They might not be hungry now, but they'd need food later.

Everyone settled into the living room and kitchen, all wearily watching Zexion until he finally stood up.

"Please stop staring at me. I'm fine. I have a lot to take care of now... Just go about your lives, do whatever you want. I'm not hungry, but please save me some of that pizza. I'll be in my room," Zexion said, leaving before anyone could say anything.

Axel exchanged a glance with Larxene before sighing, "What are we supposed to do?" he sighed, "He's handling this like he was 50 and his elderly parents just died."

Demyx stood up, walking out of the kitchen without a word and following Zexion.

XXXX

Zexion glanced up when Demyx walked into their bedroom, gaze dropping back down to the various lists he was making. There were so many details to see to - clothes, flowers, a funeral home and church service, the delivery of the headstone, calling every one of his relatives, arranging an after-the-service meal...

Demyx walked over, putting his hands on Zexion's shoulders as the door shut behind him, "How're you holding up?" he asked, glancing at Zexion's lists.

Zexion's shoulders tensed slightly but he answered evenly, "I'm fine, thank you."

Feeling Zexion tense, Demyx frowned, "Do you need any help with anything?"

"Could you find out if everyone has the proper attire for a funeral? That includes yourself. If not, I'll have to place an order for that as well..." Zexion trailed off, frowning at the paper.

"Yeah, I can check." Demyx said, not moving, "Can I get you anything?"

"Not at the moment," Zexion said, pausing to look up at Demyx and try to smile.

Demyx nodded, smiling back, moving to lean on his bed, "Do you want me to go ask now, or keep you company?"

Zexion shrugged, tensing again as he returned to his lists, "Whichever you want."

Demyx sat down on his bed in response, giving Zexion a smile, "Let me know if I can do anything?"

Zexion relaxed, letting out a breath as he nodded.

XXXX

Zexion hung up his cell, placing it on the table and rubbing his eyes, stifling a yawn. _At least Saix was handling most of the things_, he thought as he crossed things off of his lists. He glanced at the clock. 4am. He sighed. He'd have to wait before attempting to call his relatives, not looking forward to the task.

Demyx walked into the room, yawning, "Hey."

Zexion blinked, "Did I wake you? I'm sorry, please go back to sleep."

Demyx shook his head, "What're you doing up?"

"Making arrangements," Zexion answered. "Even with Saix handling the majority of things, I still have several things to take care of. Demyx, please. Go to sleep."

Demyx shook his head again, "No, if you're staying up, then I'm staying up." he smiled. "And Axel should probably be out here any moment."

As if he'd been waiting, Axel stumbled in, yawning, "Kay, where's the fire?"

"What are you doing up?" Zexion asked, slightly amazed Axel was upright at this hour.

"Doesn't matter." Axel said, "What can I do so that you can go to sleep?"

"There's nothing to do. Either of you. I've got it handled, so just go back to sleep," Zexion said, his sternness ruined by another yawn.

Axel crossed his arms and Demyx just sighed.

"Not buying it, Zex."

Zexion stared at them both for a long moment before giving in. "I need to call my family members, but I can't do that this early in the morning. They aren't going to be happy with the short notice, but Saix is arranging accommodations for them so that should help. It'd be nice if you two could make sure you're all ready for the funeral tomorrow, in the way of clothes. Take the credit cards if you aren't. Also, I need to find a space large enough to host a memorial meal after the service. And I'm hungry."

Axel glanced at Demyx for a moment before saying, "Can you cook without burning the kitchen down?"

"I'm sure I can handle making something." Demyx nodded.

"Kay. I'll go see if I can figure out this whole 'space large enough for a memorial meal' thing." he nodded.

XXXX

Yawning and hoping he wasn't about to get punched, Axel knocked on Cloud's bedroom door.

Cloud rolled over.

Axel sighed, knocking louder, "Wake upppppp, Cloudddd."

"Cid! It's my day off! Call Xigbar!" Cloud yelled, turning in his sleep.

"Wake _up_, Cloud!" Axel snapped.

Cloud's head snapped up and he glared at the door, trying to stand and falling to the floor as his blankets were completely twisted around his legs. Cursing, he managed to untangle himself and strode to the door, yanking it open.

Immediately, Axel said, "Please don't kill me."

"If it's not something big, I might just," Cloud growled.

"Dem and I are trying to get Zexion to go to bed. This means that I am currently trying to find a place for him to host this after-funeral dinner thing." Axel was not eloquent at 4:30 in the morning. "Do you have any ideas? I don't think the Box Depot will work."

"Why is he up now? Why is anyone up now?" Cloud asked. "Box Depot? Box Depot! You can't have it at the Box Depot! If I find a place, can we sleep?"

"I don't know why he's up now! I'm up because Demyx woke me." Axel grumbled.

"Why is Demyx up?" Cloud growled. "After funeral thing? What thing?" His brain was finally starting to wake up.

"Demyx is up because Zexion accidentally woke him up, I think." Axel frowned, "Actually, I don't really know. And I don't know, the after funeral dinner thing."

"Right, okay. Let's go then," Cloud said, leading Axel back to the kitchen, only faltering slightly at the sight of Demyx cooking. "No fire, that's good," he muttered before clearing his throat, "Right. After funeral dinner thing. Someplace big and not a dump, yeah? For tomorrow? How about The Chocolate Chocobo? Reno - Zack's brother-in-law - works there. I'll visit later and arrange it. Can we all please sleep now?"

Zexion frowned, "I guess that could work... Although it's not very elegant."

"Hey, it's classy. Not a dump. They'll clean before. Put away the alcohol," Cloud defended.

"All right. Are you sure you can handle making the arrangements?" Zexion asked.

Cloud nodded, "I'll visit Reno later. Anything else you need done? Saix call? You holding up?"

Zexion smiled wryly, "I'm fine, Cloud, go back to sleep."

"Thank God," Cloud muttered, immediately retreating to his room.

Axel glanced between Zexion and Demyx, "Need me for anything else?"

"Just the clothes situation, but that can be taken care of later. Thank you, Axel," Zexion said.

Axel nodded, "No problem. Sleep, okay?"

Zexion made a noncommittal sound, turning to Demyx, "Really, I'm all set now. You can go to sleep."

Demyx shook his head, "Not until you do."

"I'll nap later."

"Nope." Demyx shook his head again.

"I will, I promise. I just... can't sleep now. Not yet," Zexion poked at the food Demyx set before him.

Demyx sighed, nodding and dragging a chair over so he could sit down.

"You don't have to do this," Zexion said, glancing up at him.

"I want to." Demyx answered, smiling at him.

XXXX

Later that day, Cloud parked his bike at The Chocolate Chocobo. From Zack's frequent over-sharing of information, he knew Reno would just be setting up the bar and wanted to talk to him before his shift really began.

Walking in and waving off the wait staff, he strode over to the bar. "Reno."

Reno turned, "Cloud?" he asked, mildly surprised.

"I need a favor," Cloud said.

"What's up?" Reno asked, walking over.

Cloud took a breath, "I'd like to rent this place for tomorrow afternoon. The whole restaurant, money's no issue. With a buffet or something instead of menu-ordering."

Reno blinked. "Er... _why_?"

"My roommate's parents died. Both of them, plane crash. We need somewhere to have the after-funeral dinner thing," Cloud briefly explained.

Reno blinked again, "Oh." he said, "I'll talk to Tifa, then. Gimme a sec." He headed to the office near the back of the restaurant, knocking and then slipping inside.

No noises could be heard for a little bit, before Cloud heard, "I don't _do_ funerals!" The voices began to increase until they were snapping at each other, before a disgruntled Reno exited the office, pulling his cell phone out immediately and calling someone.

Cloud glanced at the office door and back to Reno, "Everything okay?"

"Mhmm." Reno said, not really listening. When whoever he'd called picked up the phone, he quickly explained the situation and grumbled something about Tifa being stubborn and needing 'your pregnant hormones.'

"Reno? Did you mention money is no problem? Because it really isn't, I've got access to hundreds of thousands," Cloud said lowly, glancing around to make sure no one else to hear him.

As Reno hung up, he turned, "Hmm? Oh, yeah, that's not the problem. Tifa's stubborn." he said, walking back over to the bar to continue getting set up.

Cloud frowned, "What do I do, then? There isn't any other place in town big enough that is also decent."

"Oh, you don't have to find anywhere else." Reno said, "I've got it taken care of."

"How?" Cloud asked bluntly.

As if to answer, the restaurant doors opened and Aerith walked in, ignoring the wait staff and walking past Reno and Cloud without so much as a glance. She swung open Tifa's office door without knocking, getting a bewildered look from the restaurant owner, before the door slammed shut behind her and the screaming started.

"That's how." Reno answered.

Cloud looked slightly alarmed, "I don't see how Aerith's screaming is helping my case!"

Reno didn't answer. The screaming steadily got louder, Tifa and Aerith's arguing starting to draw the attention of the rest of the restaurant. Finally, the arguing stopped with one final shout, and Aerith exited the office, looking satisfied.

"Hello, Cloud. Nice to see you again." she nodded at Cloud as if she hadn't just been screaming at her best friend.

Cloud stared at her, "Uh, hi Aerith."

She smiled, "You can work out all the details with Reno." she said, "See you later." she waved, before leaving the restaurant.

Cloud watched her leave before turning his questioning gaze to Reno.

Reno laughed, "Tifa's stubborn, but Aerith's pregnant." he said, "She gets what she wants. Always."

Cloud blew out a breath before muttering, "Well, one more reason to be thankful I'm gay, I guess."

Reno laughed again, "So, details. Gimme."

"All right. But first, could you get me the cost? Zexion will ask when I get back," Cloud said.

"Sure." Reno nodded.

XXXX

Demyx glanced at Zex as his phone rang, "Be right back." he said, hopping up and walking into the kitchen to answer it.

"_Hey, Dem."_

"Hey, what's up?" Demyx asked.

"_You sound exhausted."_

"Been a long night."

"_Everything okay?"_

"Meh. What's up?"

"_You're saying nothing, that's never good. Was wondering you and Zex wanted to come over for a bit. Get to know each other and all that."_

Demyx glanced over at Zexion before saying, "Can't." He quickly explained the situation in as few words as possible.

"_Oh god, I'm sorry."_ Yuffie seemed flustered, "_My parents even mentioned that and I didn't connect it."_

"Don't worry about it." Demyx said, "Does that mean you're coming?"

"_Well, my parents wanted me to, and now that I know who it's for, I'd like to. That okay?"_

"Of course." Demyx said, "Thanks, Yuff."

"_No problem! See you tomorrow then. And get some rest." _There was a click as she hung up.

XXXX

"Yes, thank you," Zexion said, hanging up and placing his phone on the table, leaning back into his chair with a sigh.

Demyx frowned, "That was the last one, right?"

Zexion nodded, "Yes. Everything is all set, now."

"Well, that's good, right?" he asked.

Axel glanced over from the TV.

Zexion nodded again but didn't reply.

Axel frowned, "Zex?"

"Yes?"

"Do you need anything?" he asked, tossing the TV remote towards Demyx, who caught it clumsily, not expecting it.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," Zexion said, standing. "I'll be right back." He left the room, going into his own and grabbing a book, returning moments later and sitting down.

"Er, Zex?"

Zexion glanced up, having just opened the book, "Yes?"

"It's almost one in the morning." Axel answered, "Don't you want to sleep? Have you slept at all since this morning?"

Demyx shook his head to answer.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired," Zexion said.

"Yes you are." Axel said, standing up and grabbing Zexion's arm, pulling him up. Taking the book from him, he started to lead Zex towards his room.

Zexion squirmed, digging his feet in, "What do you think you're doing? Axel! Axel, let go! Give me my book! Dem, help!"

Axel ignored Zexion's protests.

"You need to sleep." Demyx said, following them towards the room.

"No I don't! Axel, stop it!" Zexion tried to pull away before screaming the one thing he knew would make Axel let go: "Axel, you're hurting me!"

Larxene poked her head out of her room, "What the hell is going on?"

Axel, whose grip on Zexion's arm was far from painful (but he loosened it anyway), spoke, "Zexion needs to sleep, but he's protesting. Loudly."

Larxene walked over, Demyx taking a step forward, the three essentially sandwiching Zexion between them. Even if Axel _did_ let Zexion go, he'd have to tackle one of them to get back to the living room.

Zexion tugged on his arm, feeling slightly claustrophobic, tears pricking his eyes, "Please let go, Axel. Please. You're hurting me."

Axel let go this time, "Zex, you need to sleep."

Zexion shook his head stubbornly, hugging himself, "I'm fine, really. You go to bed, I just want to find out what happens next in my book, then I'll sleep."

"We've been your friends for long enough to know that's not true." Axel said, "Zexion, come on." he said, frowning.

"I said I'm fine!" Zexion snapped.

"No you're not!" Axel snapped back.

"How would you know? I'm the only one who knows how I am feeling and I am fine!" Zexion yelled. "Now just leave me alone and let me read!" He made a move towards his book, which Axel had carelessly flung to the floor.

Demyx grabbed Zexion's arm lightly, "Zex..."

Zexion's eyes flashed as he faced Demyx with a glare, "Let go of me. Now. I've about had it with everyone attempting to manhandle me!"

Demyx let go, not used to seeing Zexion like this.

Zexion turned and bent, picking up his book and clutching it tightly. "Good night," he said dismissively, going to make his way back to his chair when Cloud's door opened.

"What the hell is going on?" the blonde demanded.

"Zexion finally cracked." Larxene muttered so that Zexion wouldn't hear.

Cloud cursed, "Zex? What's going on?"

Zexion turned slowly, "Everyone in this house seems to think they know me better than I know myself. I know what I can handle and I say I'm fine so I'm fine and I'm sick to death of being pushed around!"

"Whoa, calm down, who's pushing you to do what?" Cloud asked, slightly confused but definitely noticing the cracks.

"Everyone thinks I should sleep," Zexion answered.

"Because you haven't." Axel added.

"You've stayed up for several days at a time and no one bothered you about it!" Zexion glared at the redhead.

"That's completely different!" Axel protested.

"Why? Because your parents are alive and mine...?" Zexion said, cutting off harshly and turning away so his back was to everyone.

Cloud shared a look with Larxene.

Demyx put a hand on Zexion's shoulder as Axel stiffened.

"Don't," Zexion shrugged off the hand and hastily wiped his eyes, "just don't. Just let me read my book and not think. Because if I go into that room and lay on that bed, all I'll be able to do is think. And I can't-" He cut off abruptly, trying very hard not to burst into sobs.

Larxene glanced at Cloud and gestured towards their rooms, suggesting they get out of the way for a bit.

Axel frowned, "Zex, I... I'm sorry, I just..."

Cloud nodded, briefly placing his hand on Axel's shoulder before quietly disappearing back into his room.

"Axel, please," Zexion whispered, voice too watery to talk.

Axel just nodded, "Promise you'll let me know if you need something?" he asked, frowning.

Zexion swallowed a lump of tears, "Okay."

Axel headed towards the kitchen, unsure of what else to do.

Demyx glanced at Zexion, "Do you want me to stay away, or..."

"You should sleep," Zexion said hoarsely.

Demyx hesitated, but nodded, "Wake me up if you need me?"

Zexion nodded, no longer trusting his voice.

Demyx gave him a shaky smile, before retreating to the bedroom.

Zexion watched him go before slowly walking into the kitchen, book thunking onto the table, tears beginning to fall from his eyes, "A-Axel?"

Axel hurried over to him, pulling him into a hug.

Gripping Axel tightly, Zexion gave in and started to sob, leaning heavily on the redhead.

XXXX

"Dem?" Larxene poked her head into Demyx and Zexion's room after Zexion had vanished into the kitchen.

Demyx glanced over. He was sitting on his bed, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep even if he'd tried, "Hey, Larx."

Larxene slipped in, shutting the door behind her, "Hey. Don't take what Zexion said to heart. This is... Axel, Cloud, and I were waiting for it."

Demyx frowned.

"This is how he handles things like this. He distracts himself, and when he has to face it, he cracks." Larxene said.

Demyx sighed, "I just... wish I could do something."

"Axel's got him." Larxene said, "Just let Axel take care of him and make sure you're there for him tomorrow. He'll need you."

Demyx nodded.

Larxene smiled at him, "And try and sleep. I know it's hard, but try."

"Alright." Demyx said, "Thanks, Larx."

"Of course." Larxene smiled, before leaving the room.

XXXX

The next morning, everyone dressed in somber clothes bought just the day before and prepared to head for the service. No one mentioned Zexion's meltdown and for that he was grateful, too busy trying to prepare himself for the long day ahead of him. Piling into two cars, they picked up Roxas along the way and met Saix at the church.

"Zexion, how are you doing?" Saix asked.

"I'm all right, Saix, thank you," Zexion said.

Saix nodded, "I know I asked you this yesterday, but are you sure you don't want to see them? This is your last chance before it's too late."

"No," Zexion said sharply. "No. I don't want to remember them like that." He gladly took Demyx's hand, grateful for his presence. He felt someone briefly touch his shoulder and he felt stronger, knowing his real family was there for him.

"Very well," Saix said. "You all should go inside, I'll greet and direct your family."

"But-"

"No, this is your time to mourn, now. You'll talk to them after the service," Saix said firmly.

Zexion nodded and allowed his friends to lead him inside. Throughout the service, he had trouble keeping his eyes off of the coffins, unable to truly comprehend that his parents were in there. Through the efforts of his friends, he was shielded from his family on the short walk to the graves, where they all watched as the coffins were lowered into the ground.

Climbing into the car later on to head to The Chocolate Chocobo, Zexion took a calming breath, glad that he had kept it together thus far.

They pulled in and went inside, Cloud talking to a redheaded worker. Reno, Zexion guessed. He looked around at the elegantly set tables and simple buffet, hoping his family would approve. Saix moved to join Cloud, but everyone else stayed clustered around Zexion.

"I'm going to get a drink, does anyone want anything?" Roxas asked.

Zexion shook his head.

Glancing at Larxene and getting a small nod, Axel said, "I'll come with you."

Roxas smiled at him and linked their hands as they wandered over to the tables of food.

Zexion watched them for a minute before turning to Larxene, "Please try to be nice once they get here."

Larxene frowned, "Fine." she said, "I'll do my best."

"Thank you," Zexion sighed.

Cloud walked over, "Maybe you should eat before they get here?"

Zexion shook his head, "I can't."

Cloud nodded in understanding, "I'm going to grab something now, though."

Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened and the first of Zexion's family arrived.

Zexion carefully made his face blank as he moved towards the door to greet everyone.

"Thank you for coming. Please help yourself to the refreshments."

Over the next hour, that's all he seemed to say as family members and business associates poured in to offer their condolences.

Demyx didn't leave his side. Somewhere in the middle, Yuffie and her parents arrived. She held off despite wanting to give Demyx a hug, and made quiet conversation with the two of them before wandering off to take a seat somewhere until everyone arrived and she wouldn't be blocking the door.

When it seemed like the majority of people were there, Zexion and Demyx headed over to the table Axel, Roxas, Larxene, Cloud, and Saix had already claimed.

Clearing his throat, Zexion spoke briefly to everyone: "I'd like to thank you, again, for coming to celebrate the lives of Timothy and Isabel Corazza. They were loyal friends and loving family, and will be dearly missed. Please, help yourselves to the refreshments and join in on remembering all the good times had with them."

Sitting quickly and ignoring the stares of a few, Zexion waited for conversation to start up again.

"How long before they all rush over here?" he muttered.

"Ten minutes. Fifteen if the food is good," Saix wryly answered.

Larxene smirked, cracking her knuckles, but Demyx and Axel simultaneously shot her a look and she dropped her hands to the table, pouting.

Roxas glanced at them, but decided not to ask.

"Here comes someone now," Cloud said.

Zexion looked up to see his father's older brother making his way over. The man nodded in general to the table before going to Zexion, who stood to shake his hand.

"He was a great man, your father. Your mother, too. It's terrible to lose them like this," the man said.

Zexion merely nodded.

"I suppose you couldn't find a better place than this on such short notice, hm? Don't worry, I'll have a talk with the owner about the advantages of an elegant decor. You come visit us soon." With that, he placed his hand on Zexion's shoulder before moving away to the buffet.

"Cloud?" Zexion sighed.

Cloud frowned, standing, "I'll warn Reno."

Larxene grumbled softly and Demyx squeezed Zexion's hand under the table.

And with that, it began. Business partners were perhaps the easiest to deal with, as they made no judgements and seemed genuinely sincere in their sympathy. His family, however...

"Really, Zexion, I thought you'd know better than to have such a short, informal service..."

"Those floral arrangements were just dreadful! I know Isabel would've hated them..."

"A man of your age should really own a proper suit by now, dear..."

His grandmother walked over, "Zexion, stand up straight."

Automatically, Zexion adjusted his posture, "Yes, Grandmother."

"Speak clearer. Enunciate, boy." the elderly woman said.

"Yes, Grandmother," Zexion replied louder.

"Good boy. You should be sitting with family, not this riffraff. I never liked that your parents allowed you to leave their supervision. Obviously, they placed too much faith in you," the woman said disdainfully.

"Muriel," Saix said smoothly, standing, "Have you been introduced to the head of the law firm? I believe he mentioned interest in some business dealings. Please, allow me to introduce you."

"All right, Mr. Thornton, thank you," the woman said, gracefully taking Saix's offered arm and allowing him to lead her away from the table.

Glancing over from her seat a table away, Yuffie frowned at the look on Demyx's face. She couldn't hear much of the conversation, just the occasional few words, but she had a general idea of what was going on.

Roxas squeezed Axel's hand, glancing fearfully at the murderous look on Larxene's face.

Zexion tugged Demyx up by the hand to stand with him, talking to them all, "I'm sorry, she didn't mean to insult you."

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Yes she did, and don't apologize for them." she said.

"You know they can't tell they're being rude," Zexion muttered, closing his eyes briefly.

Larxene just rolled her eyes, "Right, right." she smiled at him.

Demyx squeezed his hand again.

Zexion glanced around, not noticing anyone heading over at the moment, "I'll be right back, I need a minute. I'll go to the restroom, so just tell anyone who comes over that, okay?"

"Take your time." Axel said, nodding.

Zexion nodded back and started making his way there, only half realizing he was dragging Demyx with him.

Roxas blew out a breath, "I didn't realize his family would be like this. Don't they care at all that his parents are dead?"

"Nope." Larxene answered, taking a sip of the drink she had in front of her.

Axel rolled his eyes at her, "I'm sure they care, but they have a really bad way of showing it. They're always like this."

"Should've seen his parents." Larxene mumbled.

"They were like this? But they were his parents!" Roxas said, unable to imagine it.

"They were..." Axel trailed off.

"We took him in for a reason." Larxene said, leaving it at that.

Roxas was silent, staring at the table, just trying to understand it all, especially two young teens who took it upon themselves to basically raise another.

Zexion stared at himself in the mirror, straightening his tie, "I guess we should go back. I shouldn't have left at all, really. It'll just upset them more."

Demyx shook his head, "They use the bathroom too." he said, "Unless they're robots or something. Anything's possible, I guess." he squeezed Zexion's hand.

Zexion smiled and squeezed back, "Thanks."

Demyx smiled back.

Letting his smile fade, Zexion turned and opened the door. A few people glanced at the pair as they made their way back to the table, but no one said anything. They were almost to their seats, standing just behind Axel and Roxas, when Zexion's aunt stopped them.

"What in the world were you thinking?" the woman demanded, clearly upset.

"Aunt Sarah, what's wrong?" Zexion asked.

She glared, "You know very well. Did you think you could do this and no one would notice?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't apologize to me - you should be apologizing to everyone! It was bad enough that the pastor you hired was clearly a nutjob and the service was terrible. Not to mention that you offered no wake. No wake! Who ever heard of such nonsense!"

"But-"

"I don't care how badly they look, you hold a wake! It's the proper thing to do! Then you book this hole-in-the-wall for immediately after the graveside service - couldn't get them in the ground quick enough, hm?"

"Aunt Sarah-"

"My sister deserved better! And now, after all that, you go and flaunt this boy in our faces! I've been watching, you haven't let go of his hand yet! And where did you two just disappear to? A quickie in the closet? Not only is that disrespectful, it's insulting! After everything you've put the family through, Zexion, I'd have thought you'd have the common courtesy to not go gay!"

"What is _wrong_ with you?" A voice snapped from behind Sarah. The woman turned to see Yuffie standing there, her hands on her hips, clearly enraged.

"Yuff-" Demyx went to try and protest, but Yuffie ignored him.

"That's your _nephew_, and all you just did was tear him apart over the stupidest shit I've ever heard! There was _nothing_ wrong with the service, there is _nothing_ wrong with this place, and there is _NOTHING_ wrong with Zexion!" Yuffie clenched her fists at her side.

"Zexion, control your little friend before I do!" Sarah threatened, outraged.

"Don't talk like I'm not here. If you have a problem with me, say it to _me_." Yuffie said before Demyx could jump in.

"You are being extremely rude and interrupting a private conversation. And don't think I don't know who you are, Ms. Kisaragi, and you can be sure that I will be boycotting your family's business dealings after this little stunt!" Sarah hissed.

"My family doesn't need to business with people like you." Yuffie said in response.

"Zexion, I insist that you do something! Or are you involved with this one as well? And I thought you had learned good breeding! Never sleep with a common whore!" Sarah sneered. "What would your parents say, hm? You are tarnishing their good name!"

"That's _enough_." Axel said, "Zexion's had a long day, I think it's time everyone left." he said, drawing attention to him as Larxene swooped in to pull Yuffie out of the way before she could cause any more of a scene.

Cloud glanced across the room at Saix, who nodded, before grabbing Reno and starting to usher people out of the doors.

"Who are you to make such decisions? This is to honor my dead sister! You are of no relation to us, just some common street thug! Zexion! Why are you standing there so silently? I demand that you defend your family!" Sarah yelled.

"You're in no position to demand anything of Zexion right now." Axel said, "Now please." he gestured to the door.

"This is an utter outrage! You are embarrassing my sister's memory! Zexion!" Sarah screeched.

Zexion closed his eyes and turned, hiding his head on Demyx's shoulder.

"You are disgusting, do you hear me? All of you are nothing but trash! My lawyer _will _be contesting their wills, because it will be over my dead body before you inherit all their hard work!" Sarah spit out before turning on her heel and storming out.

With all of the guests gone except Yuffie, who had told her parents she'd be home later (and was expecting to never see the light of day after that later), Axel relaxed, sitting down and pulling Roxas down with him.

Cloud closed the doors firmly, "Thanks for the help, Reno."

"Of course." Reno said, glancing at Zexion with a frown on his face.

"Can we just... gather ourselves for a minute before we go?" Cloud asked, following Reno's gaze to Zexion.

"Of course, take your time." Reno said, "I'll be here for a couple of hours, and besides, you rented the place all evening."

"Thanks," Cloud smiled at him before heading over to those that were left.

Saix spoke up, "I'll deal with her complaints and her lawyer, and I can assure you she has no case."

"Can we sue her for something?" Axel asked, still pretty angry.

"Hm," Saix thought for a moment, "I'm sure I could find something. Slander, maybe. I'd need a few testimonies, though, from those who heard the whole of her... speech."

"Whatever it takes." Axel nodded.

"I'll look into it, then," Saix nodded. He opened his mouth to say something to Zexion but closed it again with a frown, noticing how the boy had yet to unbury himself from Demyx.

"Yuffie..." Demyx glanced over at the girl, who was standing awkwardly on the other side of the restaurant, not really sure what to do.

"Sorry about that..." she said, frowning.

"Thank you for standing up for Zexion," Cloud said, smiling at the girl. "You're a friend of Demyx's, I take it?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yes."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Cloud, that's Axel and Roxas, that's our lawyer, Saix, and I think you've met Larx already," Cloud said.

Roxas jerked back. "No, I'm not letting you mail her pictures of us making out!" he hissed at his boyfriend, blushing.

Axel pouted and Larxene laughed.

"It's nice to meet you." Yuffie nodded.

Roxas settled down, glancing anxiously at Zexion."Um..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Saix cleared his throat, "I'll head out now, and get started on those things. I'll call you sometime during the week. Take care of Zexion, please. Contrary to what his family seems to think, I believe you to be the best things to have happened to him."

"Thank you, Saix." Larxene nodded.

Saix smiled and nodded, "I'll call you," he repeated before making his way to the doors and exiting.

"Zex?" Axel asked, glancing at him.

Zexion took a deep breathe, finally moving out of Demyx's arms, "I'm fine."

Demyx frowned.

"You don't have to be okay, Zexion." Axel said, "You know that."

Zexion sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't want that - any of it - to happen..."

"Stop apologizing." Larxene walked over, "Zexion, you _know_ that wasn't your fault." she said.

"But it is," Zexion protested, "I know they can be like that. I should've been more prepared."

Larxene sighed and shook her head, "No."

"I could've prevented this if I'd just... They're all grieving, too, I should had tried to not make this day any worse," Zexion closed his eyes for a moment, feeling totally overwhelmed.

"You did _nothing_ wrong." Larxene told him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

Zexion said nothing, not able to really look her in the eyes. Instead, he spoke to Yuffie, "I'm sorry she yelled at you like that."

Yuffie shook her head, "I was the one who butted in and yelled right back."

"Zex, it wasn't your fault," Cloud said. "And from the looks of it, Yuffie can certainly handle her own."

Zexion just nodded.

Yuffie sent him a small smile.

Zexion turned to Demyx finally, blushing and a little ashamed, "Demyx, I..."

Demyx just pulled him in and hugged him.

Zexion relaxed, clinging to him a bit before saying quietly, "Can we go home now?"

Axel nodded, "Of course."

XXXX

CAMI: Aaaaaaaand everyone is sad. We always do this.

JASMINE: Um, yeah. Pretty much. :)

So I know this chapter was long but we didn't want to split this stuff up. Review to let us know what you thought of our latest plot-torture! :D


	43. Meet Mommy Number 45

Jasmine here. Fanfiction felt the overwhelming need to remove allll of the spacing of this chapter when I uploaded it. I think I got it all, but if there's a formatting problem, it's not my fault! Anyway, hope you enjoy!

We don't own KH / FF.

XXXX

Namine reached for her cell phone, frowning slightly at the paragraph she was reading, engrossed in the book, "Hello?"

"_Hey, Namine!"_

"Dad?" Namine asked, surprised, slipping her bookmark into her book and closing it. "Is everything all right?"

"_Of course. I just wanted to let you know that Lenore and I are about an hour away-we're coming by so that she can finally meet you two."_

"Oh," Namine said, mind blanking as she began internally panicking.

_After a pause, her dad spoke up again, "Er, Namine? You okay?"_

"I'm fine," Namine assured, "I'll see you both soon."

"_Alright, see you soon!"_

Namine hung up and blankly glanced around her room before looking at the clock and springing up, hastily cleaning up while yelling, "Kairi!"

Kairi poked her head in, "What's up?"

"Dad's on his way! He'll be here with his new wife in... 50 minutes!" Namine said, never once stopping her movements.

Kairi frowned for a moment, before her eyes widened, "_What_? When did he decide this?" she asked even as she dashed down the hall to her own room.

"He just called me!" Namine yelled, finishing up her room and running into the bathroom, shoving all of their products into the cabinets so that their newest stepmother wouldn't rifle through them.

Kairi cursed loudly.

Done, Namine headed for the stairs, yelling as she went down, "I'll start on the kitchen, hit the living room when you're done up there!"

"'Kay!" Kairi called.

Moving quickly, Namine stashed away all of the paper products they had, getting out the good china in its place. She wiped down everything and emptied the dishwasher, just moving to the refrigerator as Kairi came bounding down the stairs. Peeking inside, she very nearly cursed.

"When was the last time we made a grocery run?" she called out to her sister.

"A week after you starting dating Reno, I think. We haven't been home much." Kairi answered, poking her head into the kitchen, "It that bad?"

"Half a gallon of milk which has almost certainly gone bad and half a pizza," Namine replied.

"...How about you clean the living room and I'll run to the grocery store and buy stuff that looks healthy?" Kairi asked. "We have a half hour, right? I can totally get back here in time."

"Don't get into an accident, please," Namine said, agreeing.

"I'll be careful." Kairi promised, grabbing the car keys and fleeing the house still wearing the black yoga pants she'd slept in.

XXXX

Twenty-five minutes later, Kairi ran into the house, arms loaded up with bags from the closest grocery store. "NAMINE!" she called out as she dropped them on the floor of the kitchen and ran back out the door to grab more from the trunk.

Namine hurried to the kitchen, unpacking quickly, shoving the fruits, vegetables, and other perishables into the refrigerator. She silently thanked all that was right in the world that Kairi had managed to grab some finger food to offer, diving into the next armful of bags her sister brought in.

"Spray cheese?" she looked incredulously at the bottle in her hand.

"I was grabbing things off the shelves!" Kairi said, dashing back out to shut the trunk.

Namine shook her head, shoving the can into a bottom drawer as she continued unpacking, unloading the last bag as Kairi came back in.

"Okay, food's all unpacked. Stuff the bags at the bottom of the trash and throw some other stuff on top of it so they won't be able to tell we only just went shopping. Is there anything else we have to do?" Kairi asked, frantic.

"I cleared everything out, putting out the company magazines and those horrid throw pillows Dad got us a year ago," Namine said, stuffing the bags away like Kairi had suggested.

"Did you get the horrible picture of us from when we were 14 out?" Kairi asked, "The one we hid in the holiday closet?"

"No, I forgot to grab it while I was putting away the picture of Mom," Namine sighed.

"If I was feeling more vindictive, I'd plant that on his bedside table." Kairi growled. "Did you put the picture of Mom in your room or mine?"

"It's in my dresser, as Dad tends to snoop through your stuff more than mine," Namine said, going to get out the picture of their younger selves.

Kairi followed her, not sure what else to do.

She had just grabbed the picture and closed the closet door when a car could be heard pulling up and parking in front of their house. Quickly, she placed it in the living room and shared a glance with Kairi.

"Behave," she muttered, just as someone knocked. Going over to it, she forced a smile before opening it.

"Package for Kairi and Namine White?" the delivery guy said.

Namine blinked, "Um, yes, that's us. I'm Namine."

"Sign here," he handed her the sheet. She signed it and handed it back, getting a long, slim box in return.

"Have a good day," the guy nodded before leaving.

Namine closed the door, "This is a flower box. Who would send us both flowers?"

Kairi raised an eyebrow, "Er... no idea." she said, grabbing the note on top.

"Well?" Namine asked.

"They're from Mary!" Kairi smiled.

Namine smiled but shook her head. There was another knock at the door and she quickly shoved the flowers into Kairi's hand. "Get these in a vase? I'll get the door."

"Sure." Kairi said, taking them into the kitchen.

Namine opened the door, recognizing her father and looking over the slight woman with him. "Hi, come on in."

"Hi, Namine." Her father smiled, giving her an awkward hug, "This is Lenore."

Lenore smiled softly, "Hello, it's nice to meet you."

"You too. Why don't you have a seat in the living room?" Namine said, closing the door behind them before calling out, "Kairi, they're here!"

"Be right there!" Kairi called back.

Bracing herself, Namine walked into the living room and sat down, "So how was the drive?"

"Not too bad. It wasn't very far." Their father answered.

Kairi appeared in the kitchen doorway, forcing a smile, "Hello."

"Kairi." Their father smiled, "Kairi, this is Lenore."

"Hello." Lenore smiled, "It's nice to meet you."

Kairi, who had heard her introducing herself to Namine, began to wonder if that was all she could say, and just nodded, "You too."

"So what do you do, Lenore?" Namine asked, trying to be polite.

"I'm a lawyer." Lenore smiled, "You're in school right now, right? What are you studying?"

Namine smoothly hid her surprise, "Psychology."

Lenore smiled, "Oh, that's great!" Looking over at Kairi, who was standing behind Namine's chair, she asked, "And you, Kairi?"

"Human resources." Kairi answered.

"How long are you staying?" Namine asked, glancing between the two of them as she directed the conversation away from school.

Lenore glanced at her husband, who shrugged. "We aren't sure yet."

"Oh, I see." Kairi said. Her phone suddenly buzzed. Pulling it out, she glanced at the number and hit ignore.

"Everything alright?" Lenore frowned.

Kairi nodded.

"How's work, Dad?" Namine asked, not wanting to ask Kairi who it was in front of her father and his new wife.

"Work's good." Their dad nodded, before launching into an explanation of exactly what had been going on for the last two weeks in his company. Kairi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

Namine made the appropriate noises, mentally going over her checklist. The drive, school, work. They had the weather and food left before he'd give up and either go upstairs or leave.

Kairi glanced at her sister, and then over at her dad and Lenore, noticing that Lenore looked like she was attempting to change the subject to something the girls would enjoy too (which was odd-none of the other wives had cared).

When their father wound down, Namine smiled, "Well, it seems like you're very busy. Did either of you want anything to eat or drink? I'm sure we have something for you."

At that, Kairi hopped up.

"Oh, you don't have to-" Lenore protested, but Kairi shook her head.

"Come on, Nam, let's go get some food."

Namine smiled and stood, murmuring a "We'll be right back," before following Kairi into the kitchen and getting out the vegetables, crackers, and dip.

"Who called you?" she muttered.

"Xigbar." Kairi answered, "I'll call him back later. Did you tell Reno while I was gone?"

"I left him a message," Namine nodded. "He's probably just crashed for some sleep." She picked up the plate, "Get some drinks?"

"Sure. What do you want, and can you ask what Lenore and Dad want?" Kairi asked, walking over to get some cups.

"Just water," Namine said, heading back to the living room and setting down the plate, "What would you like to drink?"

"Water would be fine." Lenore said, standing up, "Do you need some help?"

"No, thank you. Please, sit," Namine said. "Dad?"

"Just water is fine for me too."

Kairi, who was listening from the doorway, came out a minute later with three glasses of water and a glass of root beer for herself, and put them down on the table.

Namine smiled and resumed her seat, taking a sip. "Please, help yourselves."

Kairi sat down as well, as their dad began to eat, but Lenore only took a polite bite of a carrot before smiling at them again.

"It hasn't snowed in a while. I wonder if it will before the season ends," Namine mused, mentally checking 'food' and 'weather' off her list.

"Do you like the snow?" Lenore asked her.

"Sometimes," Namine answered.

Lenore nodded.

"What about you?" Kairi asked, trying to get Lenore talking so that they wouldn't have to.

"Well, I suppose so." Lenore nodded, "I don't see it too often, though."

Namine nodded, watching her Dad carefully, counting down in her head until he got bored.

"Well, Lenore, how about I show you around town?" He suddenly asked as the conversation fizzled out.

Lenore hesitated, "Are you sure?" she glanced at the girls.

"Oh no, have fun!" Kairi said with a fake smile, "Let Dad show you around."

"It was nice meeting you," Namine said politely, standing.

"You too." Lenore said with a smile.

"We'll be back later." their dad promised.

"See you then." Kairi said, waving politely.

As the door shut behind the two of them, Kairi waited until she heard the car pull out of the driveway before letting a string of incredibly angry and pent-up curses out of her mouth. When finished, she took a deep breath.

Namine just sighed and headed to the kitchen to unbury their bottle of wine.

"Nam, she's NICE." Kairi said, incredulous, "She seemed... like HONESTLY INTERESTED. She's going to make dad come back here!"

"She wants us to like her; I'm guessing she thinks Dad'll feel more for her if we approve," Namine said, pouring herself a glass.

"Namine." Kairi said, "Dad's going to come back and they're going to _live_ here."

"No, they won't. He'll last two weeks, maximum, before he gets the itch again and absolutely needs to go to a bigger city and back to his job. It's the only thing he lives for, he can't be away for long," Namine said. "And she'll be dying to go with him because she will not have a single friend here."

Kairi sighed, sitting back down and letting her head drop into her hands, "I can't take two weeks."

"Yes, you can. Go to school and then to Sora's or Xigbar's. Come home late to sleep and leave early in the morning," Namine said, taking a sip.

"You always scare me right after these incidents." Kairi admitted honestly. "It's like we switch places temporarily."

Namine merely shrugged, "We have a few hours before they get back, I'm going to go read."

"I have to call Xigbar back." Kairi said, "We could always go out and lock them out, you know. Make sure we grab the spare. I don't think Dad realizes I stole his key yet, even though I did it like five years ago."

"We'd better not," Namine said, "If they really do stay, you can do it then. For now, let him think he has a key." She shrugged.

Kairi sighed, "Alright, alright." she said.

XXXX

Leaning back against the counter of the kitchen, Kairi dialed Xigbar's number and took a sip of the glass of wine she'd poured herself when Namine had left.

_"Hey, Red,"_ Xigbar answered.

"Hey." Kairi said, "Sorry for not picking up earlier."

_"No worries. What're you up to?"_

"Just met my newest stepmom." Kairi groaned.

"_Damn. Surprise visit? How is she?"_

Kairi just groaned again.

"_Want me to come over, Sass?"_ Xigbar asked, concerned.

"No, no, it's okay." Kairi said, "But I want to get very very drunk and forget this ever happened once they leave."

"_They're still there? Damn. How's Namine holding up? Need me to grab Reno?"_

"Namine turns into the ice queen when stuff like this happens. She's upstairs reading. As long as they leave within two weeks, I think we'll be okay." Kairi sighed. "They're out 'exploring the town' or whatever."

"_It's hard to picture Namine as anything but nice, Sass,"_ Xigbar teased. _"You guys need anything, lemme know. Wanna go out tonight, Red? Grab some dinner?"_

"That would be great." Kairi said, "But I have to check. I'm not leaving Namine here alone with them."

"_All right. If she's got no where else to go hang out, she can always come with us, Sass. You know I'd love to escort two such beautiful women as yourselves."_

Kairi smiled, "Thanks, Xigbar."

"_Anytime, Red. Call me later, okay?"_

"Promise." Kairi smiled.

"_Love you."_

"Love you too." Kairi smiled again.

"_Talk to you later, Red."_

"Yep." Kairi nodded, "See you."

XXXX

Xigbar pocketed his phone, heading out to the kitchen to grab a drink and spotting Leon and Cloud on the couch watching some kind of movie. Gulping down a glass of water, he leaned on the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

"Bout time Cid closed the garage for a day, huh?" he grinned.

Cloud glanced over at him and smiled, "Yeah. Perfect timing, too. I needed the day off."

"I bet. How's the roommate doing?" Xigbar asked.

"He's okay, thanks. He's got plenty of support at home, which is why I'm here," Cloud answered.

Xigbar chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. What the hell are you two watching, anyway?"

"I have no idea." Leon answered, "We found it on TV."

Before Xigbar could reply, the front door was unlocked and Seifer walked in, another guy trailing after him.

"Xigbar, did you steal and hide my wallet again?" Seifer asked as he walked through the living room, ignoring the people there in favor of opening his bedroom door to search for his missing wallet.

Xigbar grinned, "Why would I do that?"

Hayner stood awkwardly near the door, not really sure what to do or say.

Seifer sighed and shook his head, "Give it back." he said, "Guys, this is Hayner. Hayner, these are my roommates, Leon and the asshole, and Leon's boyfriend, Cloud."

"I just said I didn't do it!" Xigbar protested before turning his grin to Hayner. "So you're the guy, huh? Eh, not bad."

"Uh, thanks?" Hayner said, not sure if he was just insulted or not.

Cloud glanced between Seifer and Hayner, "You two together?"

Seifer idly nodded, glaring at Xigbar, "It's not in my room, which _means_ you must have it."

"You know, I like the days when things aren't my fault." Leon commented.

Seifer's glare shifted, and Leon just smirked.

Cloud focused on Hayner, "I hope you know what you're getting into. Be careful."

Hayner blinked, completely confused, "What?"

"Just be careful," Cloud repeated.

Seifer didn't really even notice, staring Xigbar down to see if he was telling the truth. Finally he sighed, grumbled, and disappeared inside his room again to try and find his wallet.

Xigbar winked at Hayner before turning and opening the oven quietly, pulling out Seifer's wallet and tossing it across the room to him. "Oh, hey, your boyfriend found it!"

Hayner caught the wallet, glancing at Xigbar and back down to the wallet.

Seifer glared at Xigbar again as he exited his room, "He didn't even move. You're an ass."

"Don't blame me your boyfriend swiped your wallet when you weren't looking! He just pulled it out of his back pocket!" Xigbar said.

"What? No I didn't! Seifer, I swear!" Hayner said, blushing and shoving the wallet over to the blonde.

"Don't lie, kid, we all saw you," Xigbar said, shaking his head.

Seifer grumbled and continued to glare at Xigbar, "Come on, Hayner, let's just get out of here." he rolled his eyes, heading towards the door.

"I swear I didn't take it!" Hayner stressed, following after him.

"I know you didn't, Xigbar's just an ass." Seifer rolled his eyes.

"I take great offense to that! I happen to have a great ass!" Xigbar grinned. "Oh, and kid? Welcome to the daily life of Seifer. Hope you're prepared."

"Me too," Cloud muttered, wearily watching the couple.

"Fuck off, Xig." Seifer rolled his eyes, pushing Hayner out the door and shutting it behind them.

Xigbar chuckled, turning back to the couple on the couch, "Young looking, isn't he? And what was with you, Cloud? Leon here tell you about Seifer's illustrious past?"

"...Something like that," Cloud said, not really answering.

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Actually, I don't think I did."

"Oh?" Xigbar raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate, then, Blondie?"

Cloud sighed, "Does the name Axel mean anything to you?"

Xigbar frowned, "No, why?"

"Axel's one of Cloud's roommates." Leon told Xigbar, before gesturing to Cloud to continue.

"Wait, your Axel? What's he got to do with it?" Xigbar asked.

"He's the one who painted that painting, for one thing," Cloud said, gesturing to it. "For another, he went to high school with Seifer and they were friends, until Seifer decided to convert their other friend, Philip. Philip's dead, by the way, and Axel has never forgiven him. Can't say I blame him, either."

Leon sighed, "Shit."

"That mean you went to school with Seifer, too?" Xigbar asked.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah. Ax and him were already enemies when I got there, but I always knew who he was. I don't think he knew me, though. And I realized it was the same guy as soon as I saw that painting."

"Damn. Well, for what it's worth, Seif's really into this one. Like, he has no desires to dump him," Xigbar said.

Cloud snorted, "For now."

"No, really, he's falling for him," Xigbar protested.

Cloud looked skeptically, "Hopefully Roxas' friend is able to tame him, then. Though I doubt it."

"If Seifer does do anything stupid this time, Roxas and Xigbar will be teaming up to mutilate him." Leon promised.

Xigbar winked, "Count on it."

Cloud nodded, "For what it's worth, I hope you're right and he has changed."

Leon smiled.

Cloud leaned in to him and Xigbar took that as his cue to leave them alone, retreating back to his bedroom.

XXXX

"Definitely, yeah." Larxene spoke into her phone, adjusting her sprawled position on one of the chairs in the living room. Axel, who was waiting for Roxas while sitting on the couch watching TV, smirked at her.

Raising an eyebrow, she questioned him silently.

He stuck his tongue out, receiving a glare in return.

"Sorry, what was that, Saix? Axel's being an ass." Larxene said, turning away from her redheaded friend, who proceeded to mock her behind her back.

Zexion completely ignored them, shifting closer to Demyx, only glancing up when someone knocked but making no move to stand up to get it, gripping Demyx tighter to make sure he didn't move, either.

Axel hopped up, stopping his mocking, and opened the door.

"Hi," Roxas grinned, stepping up onto his tiptoes to kiss Axel.

"Gross, if you're doing that, I'm leaving," Hayner grumbled.

Roxas laughed, "C'mon, I just want you to meet everyone! Besides, it's be easier if both of my groups of friends knew each other."

"Well, I just live to make your life easier, don't I?" Hayner snapped.

Roxas smacked him lightly, "Behave."

Axel chuckled, letting them both in.

Grabbing his hand before he could try to leave, Roxas pulled him inside, "Everyone, this is Hayner, my best friend. That's Larxene, Zexion, and Demyx."

Hayner nodded, "Yeah, hi, roommates of my friend's boyfriend."

Another smack, "I told you to behave."

"Knock it off!" Hayner growled.

"I'm beginning to wonder how you two are friends at all," Zexion commented dryly.

"Larxene and Axel kind of act like this, though." Demyx said to Zexion, waving to Hayner. Larxene just nodded, preoccupied with her phone call.

"Sparky, get off the phone long enough to say hello." Axel rolled his eyes.

Larxene sighed, "Hold on a sec, Saix? Thanks." Pulling the phone away from her ear, she turned to Axel, Roxas, and Hayner, "Hello, friend of my friend's boyfriend." she nodded, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go finish this somewhere else." she rolled her eyes again, putting her phone back to her ear and wandering down the hall to her room.

"I like her," Hayner grinned.

Roxas rolled his eyes, shoving Hayner towards the chair Larxene had just vacated, going to the couch with Axel and sitting on his lap.

"So you're at the college, Hayner? What's your major?" Zexion asked.

"History," Hayner answered.

"Though none of us know how he even got in," Roxas teased.

"Hey! I get enough of that crap from Olette!" Hayner protested.

"Sorry, sorry," Roxas grinned.

"If you weren't sitting on your I'm-as-tall-as-a-tree boyfriend, I'd kick your ass," Hayner muttered darkly.

Axel laughed.

Roxas managed to stretch out and kick Hayner and Hayner glared before giving in, "So what about you guys? Aren't you super smart or something?"

Zexion nodded, "Or something, yes."

Demyx chuckled, squeezing Zexion's hand.

Hayner glanced at their hands, "Are you guys together?"

Zexion smiled, "Yes. Since you're friends with Roxas, though, I trust you don't have a problem with that?"

Hayner shook his head, "Nah it's cool. Love who you want and all that."

"Are you straight, then?" Zexion asked.

"Yup," Hayner said.

"Nope," Roxas said at the exact same time.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. Anyone want anything?" Axel asked, determined to not be here for this talk.

Roxas smiled apologetically at him, shifting so he could stand and shaking his head.

"No thanks," Zexion answered before focusing on Hayner, who was glaring at Roxas.

"How many times do we have to go over this? I'm not gay!" Hayner scowled.

"But you're dating a guy!" Roxas argued.

"So?" Hayner asked.

"So that makes you bi or gay!" Roxas said.

"Roxas is right," Zexion agreed.

"No way! I only like Seifer, okay? I don't like any other dudes. Therefore, I'm straight!" Hayner snapped.

Roxas shook his head at the Hayner-logic while Zexion frowned, glancing into the kitchen at Axel's stiff form and piecing the story together in his head but not saying anything.

Demyx glanced at Zexion, but didn't say anything.

"Whatever you say," Roxas rolled his eyes.

Hayner huffed, "After all the grief his roommates gave me yesterday, I don't need your crap, too."

"You met his roommates?" Roxas asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, for like two seconds. Doesn't that blonde mechanic guy live here, too? He was there," Hayner said.

"Cloud?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah, him and his boyfriend were there. And Xigbar. What an ass," Hayner snorted.

"Hey, I like Xigbar!" Roxas defended.

"He framed me for stealing Seifer's wallet!" Hayner exclaimed.

Roxas chuckled, "Actually, he would do something like that."

"It's not funny!" Hayner protested.

Axel resisted derogatory comments from the kitchen and pretended that getting a drink was an incredibly difficult and time-consuming task.

Roxas just shook his head, glancing into the kitchen.

"I'm going to go now. I've got... stuff to do," Hayner said.

"Sure you do," Roxas laughed. "Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah," Hayner said, rolling his eyes.

"It was nice to meet you," Zexion said politely.

"You too. See ya," Hayner waved, heading for the door.

Axel waved from the kitchen.

Hayner left and Roxas stood, going to Axel in the kitchen, "You okay?"

"Mhmm." Axel said, sighing.

Roxas pulled him down for another kiss and smiled.

Axel smiled back.

XXXX

Some time later, Zexion glanced up from his book when Demyx came into their bedroom with two drinks. Smiling, he put down his book, "Thanks."

Demyx smiled back, "No problem." Handing him his drink, he put his down on the desk and sat down, sighing. "Stupid homework."

Zexion took a sip and shook his head, "I thought you were almost done?"

"I always save the hardest stuff for last." Demyx answered.

"Do you need help?" Zexion offered.

"How much do you know about World War II?" Demyx asked.

"Enough to help," Zexion answered, setting his book and drink aside and standing up, moving over to Demyx's desk. "Which part don't you understand?"

"All of it." Demyx answered.

Zexion shook his head, "I'm sure that's not true. Here, let me see." He reached across the blonde and picked up the assignment sheet. "This isn't too difficult. I bet most of the answers are right in your textbook. History can be fascinating if you approach it correctly, you know. Did you know that we have Hitler to thank for pink being the color for girls and blue for boys? Originally, it was reversed, but Hitler assigned pink triangles to gay men during the war to label them for the camps, and its forever been associated with effeminacy."

Demyx raised an eyebrow, "Nice." he said, "Don't think my teacher would've taught us that."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't make it less true. And interesting, I think. I've always liked the color pink," Zexion smiled wryly.

Demyx smiled, turning to give him a kiss.

Zexion's eyes widened in surprise before he gave in, letting Demyx kiss him. When they broke apart, he said, "You still have to finish your assignment. But maybe... you could take a break?"

Demyx smiled, "Sounds good." he said, before pulling Zexion back down.

Zexion let the assignment sheet fall down to the desk, bending to be able to kiss Demyx as the blonde was still seated and he was standing. Not that he was going to complain about it if he was going to keep kissing him...

Demyx pulled back a moment later, "That can't be comfortable." he frowned, "Sorry."

Zexion's blush deepened and he suddenly became very aware of his rapid heartbeat, slowing standing back up, torn between wanting to kiss him again and pretending it didn't happen and going back to the history homework.

"Zex?" Demyx asked, frowning again.

"Y-Yeah?" Zexion replied, blushing anew.

"You okay? We can move somewhere else, or something." he said, standing up and leaning against the desk.

"I..." Zexion shook his head. "I never know what to do around you," he confessed.

Demyx frowned, "What do you mean? I... I think you're doing fine."

"Really? Because I feel so... awkward," Zexion said, staring at his feet.

Demyx smiled, lightly pulling Zexion up to look at him before kissing him again. Pulling back for a moment, he mumbled, "You shouldn't."

Zexion smiled and shyly linked hands with Demyx, stomach flipping as he leaned in and kissed him softly, pulling back and burying his head in the crook of Demyx's neck, hands moving up to hold him tightly.

Demyx adjusted the position of his arms around Zexion, holding him close.

Zexion sighed and closed his eyes, content to just stay like that forever, not wanting to move.

XXXX

It's just one thing after another with these characters, huh? ;)

Zex's fact is totally true, by the way. Look it up.

Well, I hope you liked it! A bit lighter than the last chapter but also kinda stressful for some of the characters! More where that came from so watch out! :D


	44. A Different Kind of Stars

"Will you get _off_ the counter?" Aerith huffed.

"Aww, come on, that's the only way to reach this shelf." Reno protested, balancing precariously at the edge of the counter, attempting to reach the top of the cabinets above the counter, which was not actually a shelf.

"You're going to kill yourself." she swatted at him, before giving up, deciding to cook later. The doorbell rang suddenly, and she left Reno to it, walking over and opening it.

"Hey, Aerith." Sora waved.

"Hello Sora." Aerith smiled, letting him in and shutting the door before calling across the room into Riku's room, "Riku, Sora's here!"

As she called that, Reno wandered out of the kitchen, dust covered bottle of cooking wine in one hand and his cell phone pressed to his ear with the other. "Nam, you have to get out of that house. Come on, come over here." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "No, I'm not taking no for an answer. Kairi can handle him for a little bit, and you said it yourself-they're probably going to leave any minute."

Aerith questioned him silently, but he just handed her the wine and shook his head. Frowning, she walked into the kitchen to start cooking, Reno following and leaning on the counter.

"No, I think Kairi will be perfectly fine with that." Pausing, and then sighing, he said, "Do you want me to call Kairi and check to make sure she's fine with it?" Pausing again, he said, "Then come over. Aerith's making dinner, it'll be fun. It will get your mind off of things at least, right? Exactly. Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Namine's coming?" Aerith asked, glancing over at him again.

He nodded, speaking again, "Okay, I'll see you in a few, then."

Zack walked into the kitchen from Reno's bedroom, "Your radio isn't working, Reno."

Reno hung up his phone, glancing over, "What do you mean, it's not working? What did you do to it?"

"Nothing!" Zack said defensively. "I was just looking for a movie to borrow and tried to turn it on for some tunes and it totally wouldn't turn on. I swear."

Reno stared at him to see if he could see a lie, before speaking, "Did you plug it in first?"

"...It's not battery-powered?" Zack asked.

Reno sighed.

"There should be a sign on it or something," Zack grumbled, turning and wrapping his arms around Aerith in favor of ignoring Reno's look.

"I'll be sure to put one there next time you come over." Reno rolled his eyes. "Where're Riku and Sora?"

"In Riku's room, I think." Aerith answered, giving Zack a kiss on the cheek and continuing to cook.

A beat later, there was a knock at the door.

Reno headed out to the living room, opening the door.

"I can only stay for an hour at the most," Namine said, by way of greeting.

"Hello to you too, Namine." Reno said, leaning in and kissing her before leading her inside.

Namine took a breath, "Hi."

Reno knew how she was, so he just took a step behind her and rubbed her shoulders, "Just relax for a bit, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

"I know. I'm fine. Everyone else in the kitchen?" Namine asked, stepping out of Reno's hands.

"Well, except Riku and Sora. They're in Riku's room, and I'm not sure it's safe to go in there to check on 'em."

"Of course it is. The most they've done so far is kiss," Namine said matter-of-factly before walking into the kitchen. "Hi Aerith, Zack."

"Heya Namine!" Zack grinned.

"Hello, Namine." Aerith smiled warmly.

"Do you need any help?" the blonde asked, returning the smile.

"Sure, if you'd like to." Aerith said, shooing the boys out of the kitchen.

Zack nudged Reno, "You okay there?"

Reno nodded, "Yeah, come on, let's go rudely interrupt Riku."

Zack laughed and followed him to his brother's bedroom, shaking his head when Reno just opened the door without knocking.

Riku jerked at the sound of the door opening, preoccupied with sucking Sora's breath out of his mouth.

Temporarily ending the kiss and glancing over at Reno and Zack, Sora raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Namine's here, you guys should stop trying to swallow each other and come out." Reno answered, leaning casually on the doorframe.

Riku flipped his brother off, purposely continuing to kiss Sora for another few seconds before pulling back and saying sarcastically, "Privacy would be great, thanks."

Zack snickered.

Reno grumbled, "Aerith'll start to get annoyed if you're not out here in ten minutes." he said before leaving, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Riku sighed, pulling back completely and grabbing Sora's hand, pulling him up off of his bed, "C'mon, let's go say hi."

Zack shook his head, wandering into the living room and plopping down on the couch.

Reno sat down in a chair, watching Riku and Sora emerging from the room. He smirked. "Nam and Aerith are in the kitchen." he said, "Did she tell you who's in town?"

Riku groaned, "How pissed is she?"

"What? Who?" Zack asked, confused.

Reno ignored Zack, "Take a guess." he answered.

"Do you wanna call Kairi?" Riku asked Sora, letting go of his hand and taking a step to the kitchen. "I'll check on Nami."

Sora nodded, "Sounds good." he said, pulling his phone out, "I'm gonna go back in your room to call her, then." he said, vanishing down the hall.

Riku entered the kitchen, "Hey, Aerith. Namine, scale of one to ten?"

Namine thought for a moment, "Eight."

"Damn," Riku cursed under his breath. "Did you guys already do the grocery run? You need anything?"

"Yes, and we're fine. Thank you, Riku," Namine smiled at him.

"Call me if you need the usual pranks done," Riku nodded.

"I will. Probably not for a few more days, yet," Namine said.

Aerith raised an eyebrow, questioning them.

"All right," Riku said. To Aerith, "You need help with the food?"

Having a feeling that whatever had just happened was a best friend thing, Aerith dropped it. "No, that's okay, we're almost done."

Riku nodded and smiled at Namine again before heading out and to his room to check on Sora, and through him, Kairi. He'd only find out the details from her since Namine was currently freezing everyone out.

Sora was sitting on the side of Riku's bed, mhmm'ing at Kairi as she ranted. The sound from Kairi's ranting was loud enough that Riku could hear it, but he could only understand a couple of words.

"How bad?" Riku murmured, sitting next to him and wincing as Kairi's voice hit a particularly interesting note.

Sora winced as well and shook his head at Riku to imply that it was pretty bad.

"Nami gave it an 8," Riku said quietly.

"Nine," Sora mouthed.

Riku nodded. Kairi always did round up.

Kairi's rant was starting to calm down, and finally, Sora was ending the conversation with a promise to come by when he got home. Hanging up his phone, he sighed.

"Namine's her usual frozen-self. I can only imagine that Reno got a good taste of it, since he's currently avoiding her," Riku said. "And Kairi?"

"That conversation didn't have a beginning." Sora answered. "She picked up and started ranting. She usually at least makes sure that it's definitely me first."

"Well, it was you or Xigbar and I'm sure he knows by now," Riku grinned.

"I can't believe we had to find out through Reno." Sora chuckled. "Anyway, she said they'd gone out for dinner, and wouldn't be back until late, so we might want to pass that on to Namine."

"You know how Nami gets. I'm surprised she's here at all, really," Riku said, shaking his head.

Sora nodded, "Kai mentioned wanting me to stay over there tonight or something." he shook his head, "We usually wait for the male-best-friend freakout until like day seven."

Riku frowned slightly, "She must really be spooked. Namine hasn't started any of the usual plans yet, but it's only a matter of time, especially if Kairi is."

"Judging by the freshness of the anger, I have a feeling it was sparked by something that happened after Nam left to come here." Sora said.

"Oh god, she is going to kill Reno when she finds out!" Riku paled. "I can hear it now, this is the perfect example of why she doesn't leave the house or Kairi alone when they get this kind of company!"

"Well, Reno doesn't actually know any of the routines when this stuff happens." Sora reminded him, "And Namine will remember that when they've left and she's calmed down. Until then, Kairi also said not to mention it and she'd take care of it when Namine got home."

Riku nodded, "I hope you're right." He stood, offering the brunette his hand. "We should get back out there before Reno comes bursting in again."

"RIght." Sora said, taking Riku's hand and squeezing it.

The pair walked back into the living room just as the girls came out of the kitchen. Zack winked at them but turned to his wife, "It's all done?"

"Yep." Aerith smiled, "Ready to eat?" she asked them.

"I'm always ready to eat your cooking!" Zack grinned, standing and kissing Aerith.

"Definitely." Reno nodded, sending Namine a smile.

"I'll set the table," Namine said, disappearing back into the kitchen and glancing at the clock.

Riku squeezed Sora's hand, watching his brother with a worried frown.

Reno glanced over a Riku, giving him a look that had implied wanting an explanation later.

They all sat down at the table and ate the food that Aerith and Namine had prepared, with Aerith giving her brothers heating instructions for the meals she had stashed in their fridge.

As soon as she was done, Namine spoke up, "Thank you for having me over, but I really should be going."

Reno stood up, "I'll walk you out, then." he said.

"Call me later," Riku said firmly.

Namine nodded, standing. "Goodbye!"

"Bye, Namine. Take care," Zack said seriously, having picked up on something not being quite right.

"See you later." Sora waved.

Reno led Namine out of the apartment and towards her car.

"You didn't have to walk me to my car," Namine protested.

"I wanted to." Reno said, "I'm not gonna ask if you want to talk about it or anything-that's what Riku's for-but remember I am here if you need me, alright?"

Namine smiled softly and placed her hand on his cheek, "Thank you."

Reno smiled, "Drive safe." he said, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss, pulling back quickly in case she wasn't in the mood.

Namine sighed softly, "I will." She climbed into her car, giving him a small wave before heading home.

XXXX

Namine pulled the car into the driveway, noting that her father's car was gone. Grabbing her things and cutting the engine, she climbed out and headed inside, locking the door behind her.

"Kairi! I'm back!" she called, dumping the keys onto the table by the door and slipping off her shoes.

Kairi walked into the room, holding one of their spare blankets, "Hey."

"Is it cold in your room?" Namine asked, frowning.

"Well, yes." Kairi said, "But Sora's sleeping over tonight. How was Reno's?"

"Sora's staying over already?" Namine asked, surprised. "What happened?"

"You're avoiding the question I asked you." Kairi commented.

"Reno's was fine. Kairi, what happened?" Namine demanded.

"She's just trying to pull family bonding shit already. Figured I'd try and dispel that as quickly as possible."

Namine sighed and nodded, "All right then. I'll call Riku and we can just get everything over with now."

Kairi nodded, "Gonna go throw this in my room, then." she said, darting up the stairs.

Namine dug out her cell phone and called Riku. "Riku? It's Namine."

_"Everything okay?"_

"There's been a change of plans - could you ask Sora to come over, please? Kairi wants him to sleep over." Namine explained.

_"What do you need me to do?"_ Riku asked.

"Well, they aren't here now, so if you could just wait at Sora's house until they get back, that'd be great. Then you could get the car on your way in." Namine said.

_"Got it. We're leaving now."_ Riku hung up.

Namine put her cell away and went into the kitchen for a drink - this was going to be a long night.

Kairi wandered in a few minutes later, leaning against the counter.

"Sora's on his way," Namine told her. "Where exactly did Dad and Lenore go?"

"I stopped listening, so I have no idea. Dinner, maybe." Kairi answered.

Namine nodded, "So what do you think of this one, then? She seems... overeager."

"That." Kairi said, "And she's freakin' psycho."

"Like Kate or like Martha?" Namine asked.

"More Martha, but still a little worse."

"How is she worse?" Namine asked, wondering how anyone could be worse than the deranged psychopath that was Martha.

"Showing her true colors quicker." Kairi answered, pouring herself a glass of wine.

Namine nodded, "That's true."

Kairi sighed. The door opened, and a moment later, Sora appeared in the kitchen. "Well, the wine bottle isn't empty yet. That's a good sign."

Kairi shoved him, "Shut up." she rolled her eyes.

"Would you like a glass?" Namine asked.

"Sure. Riku's at my house." he told her, "He'll come over when they get here."

Namine nodded as she got him a glass, pouring him the drink. "Thank you."

Sora took it, thanking her back.

XXXX

It was only a few minutes later that they heard the door open again. Kairi exchanged a glance with Sora, before nodding at Namine and muttering, "Call Riku."

Namine quickly pulled out her phone and sent a text to Riku, letting him know that her dad was back and he could get started. Once sent, she followed Kairi and Sora out of the kitchen to greet the happy couple.

"Oh, there you are." Their dad turned as they walked in.

"Hey, Mr. White." Sora greeted as nonchalantly as possible.

"Oh." he said, pausing, "Hello, Sora."

"Sora, that's Lenore." Kairi introduced them.

"Hello." Lenore said kindly, "Are you Kairi's..."

"I'm something." he answered, not elaborating.

She paused, "I... see."

Namine hid her smile behind her glass of wine, "How was dinner?"

"It was quite nice." Lenore smiled, "Did Kairi tell you what I was thinking we'd do tomorrow?"

"No, she didn't, but she's been busy with Sora," Namine replied.

Glancing over at the other twin and noticing her quite preoccupied talking in a low voice with Sora, Lenore paused, "Oh."

"So you planned something?" Namine prompted, ignoring the movement she could see outside through the window.

"Oh, yes." Lenore perked up again, "I was thinking we could go shopping, maybe to the spa afterward. A little..." she paused, "Mother daughters time."

Even though Kairi had warned her, Namine couldn't help the irritated sigh that slipped out just before the door opened with a bang and she was internally praising her best friend's timing.

"Oh my God!" Riku yelled, slamming the door shut behind him and bracing it. "Nami! You've gotta help me! This - And I was - And then! Wait!" He rushed to the window, kneeling and peering out, whispering, "Did he follow me?"

Namine quickly set her glass down and rushed over to him, "What happened, Riku?"

"I was just doing some work, and then he - But you know what happens when - I swear I took my meds!" Riku blurted out.

Namine patted his back and managed to pull him away from the window, "Why don't we sit down and you can tell me all about it. Someone is following you?"

Riku shuddered, sitting extremely close to Namine and continually glancing out the window. "Dr. Even. You know how pervy that old man is, I wasn't doing anything I swear! I was - and he - but then -" he broke off, eyes welling up.

Lenore glanced at her husband, concerned, but he just looked incredibly exasperated, remembering one of the reasons he was _never home_.

Kairi sniffled, "Oh not Dr. Even again." she whined, burying her face in Sora's chest.

"Can I... can I stay here tonight?" Riku whispered.

Namine took his hand and squeezed it, "Of course you can. And I'll go with you tomorrow to confront Dr. Even."

"What? You can't, he'll - but then! And I - " Riku sputtered.

"It'll be okay, I'll sort it all out again, don't you worry. Does your brother know you're here?" Namine asked.

"N-no," Riku mumbled, a few tears slipping down his cheeks.

"I'll call him, then. You're lucky I still keep your prescriptions here, just in case," Namine smiled kindly at him before turning to Lenore. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'll be busy tomorrow, and so will Kairi. I'll need hers and Sora's help."

"Augh, I don't _want_ to." Kairi protested, even as Sora rubbed her shoulders lightly.

"I... oh." Lenore nodded, "Of course."

"Namine," Riku whimpered.

"Come on, let's get you upstairs. You can sleep in my room, tonight, in the sleeping bag. It'll be all right," Namine said, standing and pulling Riku to his feet.

Lenore glanced at her husband, who just groaned, not protesting.

"Come on, Sora." Kairi tugged on his arm, "If I've got to deal with Dr. Even tomorrow, then I'm going to relax _now_." she said.

"Go on up with Kairi and Sora, Riku, I'll be right there," Namine said, passing him off. Turning to her father and his wife, she said, "Is there anything you two need? It seems we'll both be upstairs preoccupied for the rest of the night."

Lenore simply shook her head, too in-shock to do anything else.

"Good night, then. I'd suggest you stay inside the rest of the night - this is mainly a college town, after all, and it is Thirsty Thursday," Namine said with a smile before heading for the stairs herself.

Upstairs, Kairi, Sora, and Riku were in Kairi's room. The door was shut, but not locked, since Kairi knew from experience that her dad would venture nowhere near the door for the rest of the night, if he even lasted the rest of the night.

Namine slipped inside her sister's room, quietly closing the door behind herself. "That went well," she smiled.

"Surprisingly." Kairi said, "We're a little out of practice."

"I know I almost lost it a couple of times," Riku snorted.

"Regardless, Dad had a look of dawning horror and Lenore one of terror and shock as I came up here," Namine said.

"Always a good sign." Sora commented, "Is it just me or... she definitely pulled the family bonding stuff faster than most of them, right?"

"I wasn't exaggerating with my nine." Kairi answered.

"She's determined," Namine said flatly, face hardening.

Riku silently reached out and squeezed her hand, "Wonder when they'll notice the car?"

Almost as if in response, there was a screech from downstairs.

"Oh yeah, they'll be gone by morning." Kairi grinned.

Riku shared a look with Sora, "I hope so."

XXXX

Sometime during the night, the four of them had passed out in Kairi's room, the girls on the bed and the boys cuddled on the sleeping bag on the floor. When Kairi woke up, she glanced around and resisted the urge to squeal in delight as she spied her best friend, before carefully stepping over them and leaving the room.

Riku cracked an eye open and noticed her leaving, yawning and kissing Sora awake, telling him to follow her in case her dad hadn't left yet.

Sora groaned, standing and following Kairi out. He was a little sore from the night on the floor, but mostly just tired and wanting to be back in Riku's arms right now, thank you. He caught up to Kairi before she reached the stairs. The door to their dad's room was open (and empty, he noted), which was a good sign.

"Think they're gone?" Kairi asked, not surprised that he'd appeared behind her.

Not quite awake enough for words, Sora just shrugged.

Riku stifled another yawn before standing and stretching, reaching out to shake Namine awake. "Kairi and Sora went to check on things."

Namine nodded, yawning, "Let's go down, too, then."

Riku nodded and together they went out into the hallway, catching up to the other two by the stairs.

Kairi glanced at her sister, "What do you think?"

Namine went to the window without answering and looked outside, "The car is gone. Was the bedroom empty? I didn't notice."

"Yeah." Kairi nodded. "He usually leaves the 'leaving, see you eventually' notes in the kitchen, right?" she tore down the stairs, heading into the kitchen.

Namine walked back over to Sora and Riku, waiting to hear what Kairi found.

"Yep, he's gone." Kairi walked back out of the kitchen, waving a note.

Riku grinned and Namine visibly relaxed, heading down the stairs to read the note for herself and to find something to eat for breakfast.

Kairi threw her arms around Sora to thank him before hurrying into the kitchen after her sister.

"Wanna go back to sleep at your place?" Riku asked, taking Sora's hand.

Sora nodded, "Yes please. Kai! Nam! Riku and I are leaving!"

Namine came out and gave them both a hug, "Thanks again!"

Riku grinned, "Anytime. G'night."

Namine smiled, "Sleep well!"

"Bye!" Kairi called from the kitchen.

XXXX

After the boys had left, Namine and Kairi put away all the things they had dragged out for the visit and restored their mother's picture to its rightful place. It was later that night, after class and homework, when Namine was reading comfortably on her bed as Kairi burst into her room.

"Come on, we're going out." Kairi said, grabbing her sister's arm.

"What?" Namine asked, laying down her book and allowing Kairi to pull her up. "After all the recent excitement, I'd much rather stay at home."

"And I really want to get drunk." Kairi said, "And your boyfriend's working right now, right? So it works out well for both of us. Come on, you can't tell me you don't want a drink."

Namine hesitated, "All right, I'll go, but I'm not drinking - someone has to be able to drive home."

"We'll call Sora or something. You're drinking." Kairi dragged her sister out of the room.

"Do you think Riku talked to Reno about all of this?" Namine suddenly blurted out, blushing a bit as she followed Kairi downstairs.

Kairi glanced at her as she pulled her boots on, "He probably told him enough. Why?" she paused, "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Namine said, sighing. "I did nothing, I told him nothing. I was irritated with him the other night and now I couldn't gather the courage to call him so I just sent him a message telling him they left when I knew he was sleeping." She stared at the floor, a little ashamed.

Kairi smiled softly, "Come on. Now you really have to talk to him."

"He's probably angry," Namine said, shaking her head but nevertheless putting her shoes on.

"I doubt that." Kairi said.

"Have you talked to Xigbar?" Namine asked randomly as they left the house and headed for the car.

"I called him earlier, yeah." Kairi said, "But I think he was at work, so I just left a message."

"This happened so close to our birthday... I wonder if Dad will even remember this year," Namine mused as Kairi pulled out of the driveway.

"Who the hell knows." Kairi rolled her eyes, "I could honestly care less at this point."

Namine nodded and they fell silent until they arrived at the Chocolate Chocobo.

"I don't know if this is really a good idea, Kairi..." Namine hesitated.

"Of course it's a good idea." Kairi said, parking and shutting the car off. Climbing out, she went around to the other side of the car to drag her sister out.

Namine let Kairi pull her from the car, worrying her bottom lip as she followed her twin inside.

Once there, the two girls headed for the bar, Kairi pushing Namine towards a seat before taking one of her own. Spotting them, Reno smiled and walked over.

Namine smiled nervously, "Hi."

"Hey." Reno smiled, "Sorry I didn't answer you earlier-I was running late getting here." he gave her a quick kiss.

"That's okay," Namine said, blushing lightly.

"So, how are you two?" Reno asked.

"Better." Kairi smiled, "Can you get us both something very very strong and fruity?" she asked without bothering to check with Namine first.

"Sure." Reno nodded, "Be right back."

A few minutes later he came back with two drinks and set them down in front of the girls. While mixing them, he'd called Xigbar, telling him that he should probably come to the bar.

"Thank you," Namine murmured, taking a sip and finding it surprisingly tasty.

"No problem." Reno smiled. The bar was pretty empty, so he was able to justify hanging out with the two girls for a bit.

"I... I wanted to apologize for the last few days, they've just been... stressful," Namine said.

"Don't worry about it." Reno smiled, "I understand. I'm glad things are better."

Namine smiled, "Okay." She took another sip of her drink, really liking it.

Kairi was taking her drink a little slower than Namine was, having mostly dragged her out here so that she'd see Reno and less for the reason she'd told her sister.

As Reno walked away to tend to another customer, Namine turned to her sister. "Thanks for making me come here," she said, slightly flushed.

"No problem." Kairi said, smiling at her sister, "I should probably try Xigbar again." she said, glancing at the time on her phone and thinking out loud.

"Try what, exactly, Red?" a voice said from behind her.

Kairi jumped, spinning around in her chair, "Fuck! Don't do that!"

Xigbar grinned, grabbing hold of her and kissing her soundly. "You okay?" he murmured.

Mostly recovered from the surprise of him appearing behind her, she nodded, "Mhmm."

"Good," he said as he slid into the seat next to her. "Hi, Namine."

Namine grinned widely, "Hi Xigbar!"

Xigbar smirked as he took in the mostly empty drink in front of the blonde, eyes catching a glimpse of red as Reno made his way over.

"Thanks for that call, Reno. Looks like I made it just in time for the party," he nodded at Namine, slipping his arm around Kairi and noting that her drink was only half empty.

"No problem." Reno nodded, "Want anything?"

"No thanks. I'm thinking I'm the driver tonight," Xigbar chuckled.

"Reno. Renooo," Namine whined, waving her hands to get his attention.

Amused, Reno turned to his girlfriend, "Yes?"

"This is delicious! Can I have more? It's like... like... drinking stars!" the blonde smiled.

Reno chuckled, "How about something a little less strong this time?" he suggested.

Kairi snorted, leaning into Xigbar, "Probably should've asked for wine for her. She doesn't drink much." she muttered so he could hear.

Namine pouted, "But this is stars, Reno, stars! Don't you want me to have the stars?"

Xigbar snickered, "I had no idea, Red." He winked at her, greatly amused.

"I think you've had enough stars, Nam." Reno said.

"Renoooo," Namine pouted, reaching across the bar and grabbing his hand, "I really like you, don't you like me? You're so pretty..."

Reno chuckled, having absolutely no idea what to do with his quite-drunk girlfriend.

"Should we get her outta here, Red? Although, doesn't look like she's leaving without the pretty bartender," Xigbar snickered.

Kairi giggled, "When do you get off, Reno?"

"Half hour." Reno answered.

Kairi glanced back at her sister, frowning.

"I love your hair," Namine sighed. "It's all red and flow-y. And your eyes! They make me want to kiss you." She attempted to lean over the bar, balancing precariously on her chair.

Xigbar hastily stood up, moving to get behind her, just in case she toppled.

Kairi sighed, "Yeahhh, we'd better get her out of here." she said.

Reno grabbed Namine's arms before she could tumble forward, satisfied Xigbar would catch her if she went the other way.

Namine frowned, "I wanna kiss you, Reno. Kiss me. Don't you like me? Kiss me."

Xigbar looked over Namine's shoulder at Reno, ready to pluck her off the stool and out of the bar, if that's what he wanted, leaving the decision to him.

Tifa approached, "I think you should probably get your girlfriend out of here." she suggested.

Surprised, Reno turned to her, "You sure?"

"I think I can handle the bar for a half hour." Tifa answered.

Reno flashed her a grateful smile, "Come on, Nam." he said, hopping over the bar instead of going around like any normal person would do and carefully pulling her out of her chair.

Namine squealed, "Yay! Where are we going, Reno? Will you kiss me there?"

Xigbar chuckled, nodding at Tifa in thanks before grabbing Kairi's hand and pulling her up, "I want you to come home with me, Red."

Kairi glanced at him, "Not complaining, but why?" she asked.

"Because I haven't been able to talk to you and wanna make sure you're okay," Xigbar said. "We'll chill and watch crappy movies and make fun of Seifer. And I missed you, Red. Do I really need a reason?"

Namine stumbled, laughing giddily as she clutched onto Reno as they made their way out of the restaurant. "Look! Look!" she exclaimed, pointing up and almost falling over again. "There are _stars_!"

Reno chuckled, putting his arm around her mostly to hold her up, "Yes there are." he said, guiding her towards his car.

Kairi grinned at Xigbar, "Of course not." she said, giving him a kiss, before calling across the parking lot to Reno, "Take care of her, okay?"

"Of course!" Reno called back.

Giggling and still looking at the stars, Namine finally realized Kairi and Xigbar weren't coming with her when Reno opened the car door for her. She looked across the parking lot at Kairi and Xigbar as they were just reaching his car and yelled, "Bye Kairi! Bye Xigbar! Bye bye!"

Xigbar saluted her, opening the door for Kairi and trying very hard not to laugh.

Kairi laughed, waving back, before turning to Xigbar, "Er, what about our car?" she asked, just realizing this.

"Hmm," Xigbar said, closing the door behind Kairi and climbing in himself. Pulling out his cell, he sent a quick message to Leon, getting an almost immediate response.

"Cloud and Leon'll drop it off at your house before they come back to the apartment, Red," he grinned, triumphant. "Now, let's get outta here."

"Er, don't they need these?" Kairi asked, holding out her keys.

"Cloud can handle it without them, but if it makes you feel better, Red, you can lock them inside so he doesn't hotwire it, too," Xigbar grinned.

Kairi blinked, "Er. Right. Lemme do that." she chuckled, quickly getting out the car and running over to hers to lock her keys inside of her car and really hoping that she wasn't going to have to call a locksmith in the morning.

"Kairi! Are you coming with us?" Namine yelled, ecstatic and successfully avoiding Reno's attempts to get her in the car ("But there aren't stars in your car, Reno!").

"No, just dropping something in the car." Kairi laughed, "Good luck, Reno." she said, rolling her eyes, before climbing back into Xigbar's car. "Can you just tell Cloud to drop the keys next door with Roxas or Sora after he drops the car off?"

"Sure thing, Red," Xigbar said, texting Leon just that. "All right, let's get outta here before your sister decides to make a break for us."

Namine absentmindedly noticed Xigbar's car leaving the parking lot, far more interested in trying to climb up Reno in order to get her kiss and a better view of the twinkling lights in the sky.

Giving in, Reno kissed her, using her momentary distraction to push her down into the car and shut the door, quickly hurrying around and getting in the driver's side.

Namine grinned as he climbed in, launching herself at him and haphazardly kissing his face.

"Kay, Nam." Reno said, lightly pushing her back into her seat and leaning over to buckle her in, "I have to drive now."

Namine giggled and swatted at his hands, "That tickles, Reno!"

Reno managed to buckle her in and pulled on his own seatbelt, pulling out of the parking lot.

Namine stared, amazed, out the window. "Reno! Reno!" she yelled excitedly, "The stars are _moving_! They're following us!"

Reno had never seen Namine drunk before, and he was never serving her anything like that again if he had any choice in the matter. "Er, yeah. They do that."

"Where are we going? Can the stars come, too? Are we going back to Disneyplace?" Namine asked. "That was so fun; you're the bestest boyfriend ever in the whole world times infinity."

That made Reno smile, even if Namine was just drunk and rambling.

"Kairi was right, this is so much fun! We should go out more! And drink the stars, 'cause they're so awesome!" Namine grinned.

Reno parked his car in his apartment complex's lot and turned it off, unbuckling his seatbelt and hurrying around to help Namine out.

"Reno!" Namine yelled, trying to jump up to him but jerking back due to her seatbelt. She frowned, staring down at it as if it had just appeared out of no where for the sole purpose of keeping her from her boyfriend.

Reno chuckled, unbuckling it and offering her a hand.

Namine giggled, taking his hand and stumbling out of the car, "You're so amazing."

"Thanks." Reno said, shutting the car door and locking it, before leading Namine carefully towards his apartment.

Namine squinted up at Reno, stopping dead in her tracks. She reached up and traced his tattoos lightly, "You have red on your face."

"I'm going to hope that you noticed that before now." Reno commented.

"Reno, Reno, listen. You. Have red. On your face," Namine emphasized slowly. "It's beautiful! Don't wipe it off, kay?"

"Kay." Reno chuckled, helping her up the step at his door, and shutting it behind them.

Namine glanced around, "This is your apartment!" she exclaimed loudly, giggling.

"Yes it is." Reno nodded.

"Reno," Namine turned back to him, holding up her arms, "Reno, pick me up. Like in the movies!"

Reno blinked, but swung her into his arms carefully.

Namine laughed, kicking her legs lightly, managing to wrap her arms around Reno's neck. "You're amazing and pretty and the best ever," she murmured, smiling at him.

Reno chuckled, carrying her across the room to his bedroom to put her down.

"No, wait! You have to kiss me first! You can't put me down without kissing me!" Namine protested, legs still kicking.

Reno laughed, giving her a kiss.

"Mhmm," Namine sighed, grinning as Reno set her down and stumbling slightly, landing on his bed. "Your bed is comfy," she said, crawling up onto it fully and cuddling a pillow.

Having been around quite a few drunk people in his life, Reno knew what was coming next.

"I love you, Reno," Namine said, closing her eyes.

And that was not it. He stiffened, surprised, not sure if that was her or the alcohol talking.

Namine shifted slightly before completely relaxing as she fell asleep.

Reno sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed so that he could reach her shoes and pull them off, before covering her with the blanket and heading out to the living room to try and get some rest on the couch.

XXXX

Namine groaned, rolling over to try to get the sunlight out of her eyes. Wincing, she cracked them open. Her tongue felt like sandpaper in her mouth and the small amount of light that hit her eyes caused her searing pain. It took several long minutes before she was able to open her eyes fully and as she sat up, a painful migraine made itself known. The room spun a bit as she placed her feet on the floor and she finally realized she was not in her room but in Reno's.

Blushing as she started to remember the night before, she managed to stand and wobble out to the kitchen in search of something to drink.

Reno was leaning on the counter when she walked in. Smiling, he pulled a mug off the shelf, "Coffee?"

Namine nodded gratefully, sinking down into a chair at the table and wincing at every noise Reno made.

Reno quickly handed her a mug of coffee along with a small glass of water and some vaguely painkiller-like pills.

Namine took a sip of water and picked up the pills, popping them without question and downing half the glass in order to swallow them. Gagging slightly, she picked up the warm mug and took one whiff of the coffee before bolting out of the room and into the bathroom, barely making it before she was sick.

Reno cursed, following her towards the bathroom.

Having not eaten much before her night out drinking, there was little for her stomach to expel but oh, did it try its best. Namine sagged over the toilet, head pounding, stomach twisting, and mentally cursing her sister for letting her drink so much.

Reno rubbed her back, "Kay, back to bed, I think."

Namine groaned and croaked out, "I need a shower."

Reno frowned, "Can the shower wait until your sister can get some clean clothes here for you?" he asked.

"I just feel gross," Namine said. "Can I at least have a towel or something just to wash my face?"

"Of course." Reno pulled one out of the cabinet for her.

The blonde stood on shaky legs, gripping the sink counter for support for a moment before scrubbing her face, grimacing at the taste her mouth. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra toothbrush, would you?"

"We actually might." Reno said, opening the cabinet again. A minute later, he came back with an unopened toothbrush. "Aerith got into a motherly phase a couple weeks ago." he explained, ripping it open for her.

"Thank you," Namine said, taking it from him and thoroughly cleaning her mouth. Once done, she followed him out of the bathroom, heading back to the kitchen for another glass of water - she'd try coffee later.

Finishing her previous cup, she managed a smile, "Thank you, Reno."

"No problem." Reno smiled, "Feeling any better?"

"A bit," Namine answered, stomach somewhat settled now. "I'm sorry about last night," she blushed.

"Don't worry about it." Reno chuckled.

"I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't get you in trouble with Tifa," Namine said.

"Trust me, you didn't." Reno laughed, "The bar was slow anyway."

Namine nodded, still feeling really bad. Bits of the night kept coming back to her and flushed at remembering how many times she threw herself at him.

"Did I... tell you not to wipe your tattoos off, by any chance?" she asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

"Yep." Reno nodded, smiling at her.

She buried her face in her hands, mumbling out an apology.

"Don't worry about it." Reno chuckled.

"I don't drink very much very often," Namine said, blushing.

"I know." Reno smiled. "I shouldn't have given you that drink. Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault; I shouldn't have taken it," Namine reassured, smothering a yawn.

"If you're tired, you can get some more sleep." Reno said.

Namine's blush brightened, "Maybe I'll just lay on the couch for a bit. My stomach's still in knots."

"You can have my bed, you know." Reno said, "It's really no big deal."

"Oh, but..." she trailed off, realizing something. "Um, if I slept in your bed last night, where did you sleep?"

"Couch." Reno answered, shrugging.

"I'm sorry!" Namine said. "You didn't have to do that, the couch would have been fine for me..."

Reno laughed, "Not happening." he said.

Namine just shook her head, rubbing her eyes as her migraine seemed to focus just behind him.

"Come on, you should sleep." Reno chuckled.

Reluctantly, Namine stood with a sigh. "Thank you," she murmured, blushing a bit as she moved to give Reno a hug.

Reno hugged her back, before leading her into his room.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Namine asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Of course I'm sure." he chuckled.

"Okay... but just for an hour or so. Then I should go so you can get ready for work..." Namine said.

"Just sleep." Reno chuckled.

Namine smiled, scooting up the bed to lay down. She frowned slightly at the crumpled pillow and moved to fix it when she suddenly remembered just what exactly she had said last night before falling asleep. She blushed bright red and glanced at Reno with wide eyes before busying herself with the blanket.

Reno raised an eyebrow, "You alright?"

She made a strangled sound before simply nodding.

"I'm having trouble believing you." he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine," Namine managed to say, "I'm sorry, I should just leave."

"Not happening." Reno said, "Besides, you have no way to get home. Go to sleep." he stood up.

Namine let out a small breath, "O-Okay."

Reno smiled, heading towards the door, "Hey, Nam?"

"Yes?" she asked, fiddling with the edge of the blanket.

He smirked, "Love you too." he said, before shutting the light and the door behind him.

XXXX

This chapter… oh this chapter.

So, this chapter was born out of Kairi wanting to get drunk and then turned into Kairi not actually getting drunk and other things happening.

Those two girls will kill us one day, I swear it. Like, if you suddenly stop hearing from us, assume that Kairi and Naminé killed us.

In a few months, though, you might be able to change that to Axel and Hayner.

Why Axel and Hayner? Not telling. :-P

Thanks for reading. :-D


	45. Namine Freaks Out A Lot

Xigbar shifted slightly. Kairi was currently lying pretty much on top of him and he really didn't want to wake her up. He smoothed some of her hair out of her face and couldn't stop a grin from forming at how damned cute she looked.

Kairi stirred, blinking before opening her eyes fully, and mumbling, "Morning."

"Morning Red," Xigbar smiled.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked, smiling back.

"Great," Xigbar smirked. "How about you?"

Kairi smiled again, "I slept quite well, thanks." she said, moving to sit up so that she wouldn't be restricting his movement anymore.

Xigbar let her sit up before wrapping an arm around her and dragging her back down, "I don't think I said you could move just yet, Sass."

Kairi squeaked, before shifting and rolling her eyes, "Kay, kay."

"Much better," he grinned, "Now. What're you up to today? Feeling okay from last night? No headaches?"

"Nah, I wasn't really drunk." Kairi answered, "I drink more often than Namine, anyway." she chuckled, "And I've got no plans for the day yet." she smirked.

Xigbar glanced at the clock, "I've got about two hours before I have to relieve Cloud at the shop, so how about we go out for some brunch, Red?"

"Sure." Kairi smiled.

"Great. Wanna swing by your house for new clothes? Although I think you look damn sexy in my shirt," Xigbar winked at her.

Kairi laughed, grinning at him, "Yes, clothes would be nice. But your shirt is quite comfortable."

"Keep it, then," Xigbar said. "It looks better on you anyway, Red."

Kairi rolled her eyes, "No it doesn't."

Xigbar rolled so that she lay under him and leaned down, kissing her. "Yes, it does," he whispered, grinning.

Kairi giggled, pulling him back down to kiss him again.

Xigbar continued to kiss her for several moments before pulling back, "C'mon, we gotta get up. You look too damn sexy in that, Red. Testing my control."

She pouted, "I'm okay with testing your control."

Xigbar grinned and shook his head, kissing her once more before climbing off the bed and offering her a hand, "You're gonna be the death of me, Sass, I just know it."

Kairi rolled her eyes, but took his hand, "I highly doubt that."

He pulled her to her feet and spun her around once, kissing her nose. "Let's go."

Kairi smiled, "Kay."

XXXX

Namine blinked, slowly waking up due to some noise in the apartment. Her headache was gone, thankfully, and her stomach felt settled, although she was hungry. Getting up from the bed, she walked over to the door, halting when she saw the piece of paper taped to it.

_Hey Nam,_

_Had to go to work, but I didn't want to_

_wake you. Help yourself to anything_

_you need, and call me if you need me._

_Hope you're feeling better,_

_Reno_

Namine flushed, ripping the note off of the door and slipping it into the nearby trash. She must have been dreaming, then, when she thought she heard him say -

Jumping at another bang inside the apartment, Namine opened the door hesitantly to see Riku running around the couch chasing Sora, both laughing.

"Namine?" Riku stumbled, tripping over the TV stand and hitting his head on the couch.

Namine squeaked, "Are you okay?"

Sora, who was still laughing, walked over to help Riku up.

"What are you doing here?" Riku asked, wincing and taking Sora's hand, allowing him to pull him up.

"I was sleeping," Namine blushed.

"In Reno's bedroom?" Riku asked incredulously.

Namine's blush deepened, "I stayed here last night... Reno didn't tell you?"

"No," Riku shook his head, rubbing his sore neck, giving her a weird look.

"It wasn't like that!" Namine blurted, blushing brighter. "He slept on the couch!"

Riku visibly relaxed at that.

"Kairi did say she was taking you out drinking." Sora commented, "I'm guessing Reno didn't want you driving?"

Namine nodded.

"You went drinking?" Riku asked.

Namine sighed, "Yes."

"Oh, man, poor Reno. That must have been entertaining," Riku grinned.

Namine blushed, looking away, "He was very nice about it. But I might have... said something."

Riku titled his head, "What?"

"I told him I loved him!" Namine blurted out, flushing. "And then last night, I thought... well, obviously I was dreaming."

"Whoa, that's the first time for you guys, right?" Riku asked.

Namine nodded mutely.

"Hey, that's good, though, right?" Sora asked.

Namine sighed, "I'd rather not have told him while drunk. I hope he didn't hear me, or just drops it..."

"Hey," Riku walked over to her, giving her a hug, "My brother might be an ass sometimes but he cares about you, Nami. It doesn't matter how it came out, if that's how you feel, then he should know."

Sora stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets, grinning at Namine, "And I'm sure you weren't dreaming. Just... bring it up casually or something." He had no idea how you casually bring up something like this, but hoped Namine would.

Namine paled, "Oh god."

"Hey, whoa. So you dreamed he told you back, right? Well, would it really be a bad thing if it really happened?" Riku asked.

"Yes!" Namine stressed. "He can't... love me! It's too soon! We've just started and he just can't!"

Riku hugged her, "Of course he can, you're amazing!"

Namine just shook her head, denying that statement, denying that he had really said it, denying everything.

Riku sighed, "All right, well. Sora and I'll take you home, okay?"

Namine sighed, thankful Riku had dropped it, "Thanks."

"Let me just grab my keys. You don't mind, do you Sora?" Riku asked on his way to his room.

"Not at all." Sora shook his head.

Riku nodded, popping into his room. He quickly pulled out his cell and sent a message to Reno that he really needed to talk to Namine as soon as he could - it wasn't an emergency or anything, but at the same time it kind of was. Grabbing his keys, he walked back out, smiling at Namine, "Let's go."

XXXX

"Who the hell stole my bras?" Larxene snapped, walking into the living room and paying the guest (Roxas) absolutely no mind. If he was going to be with Axel, he was going to deal with the fact that Axel stole her bra.

Axel raised an eyebrow, "Don't look at me, Sparky."

Larxene glared, "Well, _Flameout_, who the hell else would have? Cloud's been out all day."

"Maybe Zexion did it." Axel shrugged.

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "And in what universe did you expect me to fall for that?"

"This one." Axel said, "Because it seriously wasn't me and I have no idea."

"Why would anyone want to steal _those things _from you?" Roxas grimaced.

"Because my roommates are all assholes." Larxene grumbled.

"Are you sure you didn't, I don't know, leave them in the dryer or something?" Roxas asked reluctantly.

"No, because they don't _go_ in the dryer." Larxene rolled her eyes, "You really never did your mom's laundry? Like not even once?"

"No! Ew," Roxas blanched.

Larxene laughed.

"So, where are your bras?" Axel asked.

"Hell if I know." Larxene sighed, "I still suspect you." she glared, plopping into a chair.

Roxas rolled his eyes at them both.

Larxene grumbled, and Axel changed the subject, "Where have you been all afternoon, anyway? I haven't seen you since you came back from work, and for once I've actually been here all day."

"I've been around the house." Larxene shrugged, "Feel the need to watch my every move, Scarlet?"

Axel rolled his eyes, "No, you just usually force me to."

Roxas poked Axel's side. "So what did _you_ do all day, then?"

Axel gestured to the painting drying on the other side of the room. "That. Not quite done, though."

Roxas studied it for a moment, "What else do you have to add?"

"Dunno, just doesn't feel done."

"Okay then. I think I'm going to make a lasagna," Roxas said, standing.

"Okay," Axel said, "You sure?" he stood as well, to keep Roxas company.

"Yeah. I froze that sauce from last week and I feel like cooking," Roxas said, shrugging.

Larxene's phone suddenly went off. Glancing at the number, she shrugged before saying, "Well, have fun. If you find my bras, lemme know," before flipping her phone open and disappearing down the hall.

Axel raised an eyebrow, but turned to Roxas, "Alright, let's go, then."

"You don't have to watch me cook," Roxas said, entering the kitchen and pulling out one of the pans he'd stashed here.

"I like watching you cook." Axel shrugged, "As long as you don't mind me being here."

"Not at all," Roxas smiled, getting out the various ingredients he'd need to cook with, handing the onions and peppers to Axel. "Chop them for me? But be _careful_."

"We don't _need_ to keep bringing up my deficiency with knives." Axel rolled his eyes, starting to chop.

"Yes, but-" Roxas cut off with a very high-pitched screech as several bras tumbled out of the freezer, which he had just opened.

Axel started laughing, not at Roxas, but rather at Cloud finally going through with his much-earlier threat of freezing Larxene's bras. He squeezed Roxas's shoulder before shouting, "LARXENE!"

"_WHAT?"_ Larxene shouted back.

"Found your bras!"

Slightly exasperated (but also relieved) she responded, "Where?"

"In the freezer." Axel chuckled.

"Why the _hell_ were my bras in the freezer?" Larxene snapped.

Axel scooped them up, tossing them out into the living room. "Well, they're in the living room now. Go get them before someone trips on 'em." That settled, he walked back into the kitchen to check on Roxas.

Taking the sauce out of the freezer finally, Roxas was shaking his head as he went back to his cooking. "You're all insane here," he muttered.

"Would you really want me any differently?" Axel joked.

Roxas stuck his tongue out at him, not answering as he moved confidently about the kitchen, pulling various things out of the drawers that he himself had stocked and organized.

Axel laughed, going back to the chopping.

A half hour later, they had successfully stacked the lasagna and Roxas slid it into the oven to cook. "And now we wait," he said, moving to start cleaning up.

Axel glanced at the timer, "Half hour is plenty of time for plenty of things." he said teasingly.

Roxas smacked his arm, "Not in my kitchen."

Axel laughed.

"If you help me clean up now, there's less to clean up later, meaning more free time..." Roxas grinned.

Axel grinned back, immediately beginning to help.

Washing off the last of the utensils, Roxas turned off the water before facing Axel and flicking his dripping fingers at him, splattering his face.

Axel blinked.

Roxas grinned, wiping his hands on his pants, not saying a word.

Axel rolled his eyes, walking into the living room before returning a second later, holding something.

When Larxene walked out of her room a minute later to pick up her frozen bras, phone still at her ear, Axel was chasing Roxas around the room, waving one around.

"AXEL!" Roxas yelled, ducking away from him.

Axel laughed, chasing him.

"Stop! Axel!" Roxas dove around the couch. "Larxene! Do something!"

"I'm finding this quite amusing, actually." After a pause in which whoever she was on the phone with said something, she spoke up again, "Oh, Axel is chasing Roxas around the room with one of my frozen bras."

Roxas halted, turning to face Axel with a glare, "Stop now or no sex for a month."

Axel stumbled to stop and not run into Roxas, before pouting, "Aww, come on, I was just teasing." He tossed the bra at Larxene, who laughed, leaving as quickly as she could.

Roxas continued to glare until the timer on the oven went off and he sighed, "I know, you pervert," he muttered on his way to the oven, turning it off and safely removing his meal, setting it aside to cool.

Axel, still pouting, followed him.

Rolling his eyes at the sight of Axel pouting, Roxas stood on his tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss.

Axel pulled him back over, kissing him properly.

Roxas couldn't hold in a tiny moan, pulling back to give Axel a look, "Food first."

Axel rolled his eyes, "Fine."

"You get out plates, I'll grab Zex, Dem, and Larx," Roxas said, heading to Zexion and Demyx's room first before walking down the hall to Larxene's room.

Axel shrugged, pulling paper plates out of one of the cabinets and tossing them onto the table. "Well, that wasn't particularly difficult."

Zexion and Demyx walked into the kitchen and a minute later a smiling Roxas entered as well.

"What made you decide to cook?" Zexion asked, sitting at the table.

Roxas shrugged, "Just in the mood." He winked at Axel before moving to serve the food.

Larxene walked out a minute later, phone back in her pocket, and plopped down, "Do I get food even though Axel chased you around with one of my bras?"

Demyx raised an eyebrow, "I don't think I want to know."

"Never question it." Axel suggested, Larxene nodding in agreement.

Roxas just sighed, placing the pan on the table in a clear 'serve yourselves' gesture, moving to sit next to Axel and enjoy his dinner.

XXXX

Reno rang the doorbell at Namine and Kairi's. Kairi was curled up on the couch, and hopped up when she heard the door, shouting up to her sister that she would get it.

"Oh hey." Kairi said, "Here for Nam?"

"Yeah." Reno said.

"She's upstairs, but... she's a little..." she trailed off.

Reno sighed.

"Come on in, though." Kairi let him in, shutting the door behind him. "Why don't you call her? She'll pick up."

"Yeah, but then she can _hang_ up." Reno said.

"So call her from down here. If she hangs up, knock on the door." Kairi shrugged.

Reno thought about it for a moment, before nodding. Kairi smiled, dashing up the stairs to give him some privacy.

Walking into the kitchen, Reno leaned against the counter and pulled his phone out, dialing Namine and waiting.

A few rings later, Namine answered, _"Hello?"_

"Hey." Reno said.

_"Hi. Thank you, for leaving the note. How was work?" _Namine asked.

"Work was good." Reno answered, "And no problem. So... Riku sent me a text earlier."

_"Okay..."_ Namine said, not quite sure what else to say to that.

"He said you were kinda freaked."

Namine sighed, _"I'm fine."_

"No you're not." Reno answered.

_"Really, I am though," _Namine insisted.

"Nam..." Reno frowned, "Is this about earlier?"

_"Well, I am still a bit embarrassed over how I acted, yes," _Namine admitted.

"I'm not taking about that." Reno sighed.

_"What are you talking about, then?"_ Namine asked.

"Namine, I meant what I said earlier." he finally just said. "I love you. And I don't know if you were just drunk when you said it or if you meant it, but I wanted to tell you anyway."

_"I..."_ Namine shook her head in denial before doing something that she had never purposefully done to anyone - she hung up.

Reno cursed, hanging his own phone up before going up the stairs and knocking on the door.

There was some shuffling noises and then Namine opened the door, "Not now, Kairi, I-" She cut off abruptly, paling. "Reno."

Reno put his hand on the door so she wouldn't be able to slam it if she was tempted, "Namine, you can't just hang up on me after I say something like that." he said, "It's okay if you don't feel the same way."

"I..." Namine shook her head. "You can't feel _that_ for me. It's too soon, it can't happen."

"Yes I can, and I do." Reno said.

"No," Namine shook her head again.

"Yes." Reno responded.

"No," Namine said, frustrated. "You can't, it's just not possible."

Reno leaned in and kissed her instead of responding again and turning things into an argument.

"Don't," Namine jerked backwards, hugging herself. "Just don't. I shouldn't have said it, it was too soon, it'll mess everything up, I'm sorry."

"You're not messing anything _up, _Namine, and don't apologize about it." Reno protested, "Did you mean it, or were you just drunk?"

Namine closed her eyes but nodded, "Yes."

"Yes you meant it, or yes you were just drunk?" Reno asked.

Taking a shaky breath, Namine said quietly, "I meant it."

"I meant it too." Reno said, "I promise you, I meant it."

"You can't," Namine whispered. "You just can't. I'm nothing special, I know how this goes."

"Namine," Reno said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him, "You're amazing, and I'm _so_ lucky to have you."

Namine shook her head, taking a step back, "I'm not."

Reno took a step forward, "Namine."

Namine swallowed a lump of tears, eyes watering as she continued to shake her head and back away from him.

Seeing her eyes water, Reno hesitated, not moving forward. "Do you want me to just leave?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

Namine jerked, meeting his gaze with wide eyes and blurting out, "No!"

"Then..."

"You just... can't love me. That's not how it's supposed to go - we're supposed to date and then something will happen and we'll break up and it'll hurt and then we find new people and try dating again. It's not supposed to be... _something_, so fast. I'm not... anything special."

"Namine... look, Nam, I've had quite a few girlfriends, I'm sure Riku's told you that much. But... none of them have met my family, and none of them... none of them were like _you_, Namine, and I know that what we have is different _because_ it's something. But you need to trust me that you're allowed to let this happen and _see_ what happens."

"Reno," Namine breathed, eyes wide.

"Namine."

She didn't even remember moving, but suddenly she was clutching onto him as if he would disappear if she let go.

Reno wrapped his arms around her.

Hesitantly, quietly, Namine muttered into his chest, "I love you."

"I love you too." Reno said, hugging her tighter.

XXXX

That last scene? Was like pulling teeth. Seriously.

Oh, these characters. :D

Hope you liked it! Bit of bad news - this semester is absolutely HECTIC and this is our last chapter until we write more. So updates will become sporadic, sorry!

Reviews make us write faster, though! ;)


	46. He's MINE!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter - as I mentioned before, this semester has been crazy! Hopefully we'll get the next few chapters done over our upcoming break and the updates will become semi-regular again! Enjoy!

We don't own KH/FF.

XXXX

Xigbar frowned at Cid's chicken-scratch handwriting, absently picking up his cell when it started buzzing, "Yeah, hello?"

"_Hey, it's Reno."_

"Reno? What's up?" Xigbar asked, leaning back in his chair.

_"Was making plans for Nam for her birthday and realized that I should _probably_ check to see what your plans were before I attempt to kidnap her for three days."_

"Well, you know they're going to Sora's during the day, right? And then I figured the four of us could grab dinner or something, and I've got something special planned for that night for Kairi," Xigbar said.

_"Kay, so as long as I return Namine Saturday morning, everything should be fine, right?"_

"Yeah, that's about right. Hey, what're you planning exactly anyway? Didn't you already do the big getaway?" Xigbar asked out of curiosity.

_"Yeah, but..." _Reno paused for a moment, _"Dunno if Kairi told you what happened yesterday, but I've decided I need to seriously up my plans because of it. So, I'm taking her down to Las York."_

"She told me, yeah. She also told me that afterwards Namine was dazed and couldn't stop smiling, so..." Xigbar grinned, giving Cloud the finger when he yelled something sarcastic about being on the phone instead of doing his job.

_"Yeah, it ended well."_ Reno's smile could be heard in his words, _"But I'm still stealing her for a few days."_

"Should I not mention it to Kairi?" Xigbar asked.

_"You can tell her, just make sure she doesn't tell her sister."_

"Got it. I gotta go, Blondie here is having a fit. If you need any help or whatever, lemme know," Xigbar said, rolling his eyes at Cloud.

_"Will do. Thanks, Xigbar."_

"No problem," Xigbar said, hanging up and standing from his desk. "Keep your panties on, I'm coming!" he yelled at Cloud.

"If you'd actually work and not chat on the phone, I wouldn't be stuck under this hood waiting for your lazy ass," Cloud snapped.

"Touchy, touchy. That time of month or Leon just not doing it for you?" Xigbar snickered.

"You're dead when I get my hands on you," Cloud snarled.

"Promises, promises. Now, what'dya need?" Xigbar grinned, walking over after pocketing his phone.

XXXX

Larxene startled as the door opened, quickly saying her goodbyes to whoever she was on the phone with before hanging up and peeking over the back of the couch to see who had walked in.

"Oh hey." she smiled. Demyx was pulling his coat off, Yuffie standing slightly awkwardly behind him, not sure what to do.

"Hey." Demyx nodded, "Yuffie, you met Larx the other day, right?"

Yuffie nodded, sending Larxene a hesitant smile, "Hello."

"Nice to see you again." Larxene smiled again.

Cloud yawned, walking out of the kitchen with a drink, stopping once he spotted the two teenagers, "Oh, hey. How was school?"

Demyx shrugged, "It was school."

"Do you love school as much as Dem here?" Cloud asked Yuffie, grinning.

Yuffie chuckled, "Probably not." she smiled.

"Where's Zex?" Demyx asked his two housemates.

Larxene grabbed the remote off the table, turning the volume on the TV up to an obnoxious level, making Demyx wince. "You know, I can just go get-!"

"Nah, why move?" Larxene cut him off, yelling over the noise from the TV.

Yuffie blinked.

"What now?" Zexion snapped, suddenly appearing in the living room, scowling.

Larxene muted the TV. "Dem asked where you were." she shrugged.

"And was completely willing and capable of walking and getting you." Demyx added.

Larxene just rolled her eyes.

Zexion sighed heavily, turning to Demyx and smiling, though his smile dimmed a little when he noticed Yuffie. "Hello, Yuffie. How are you?"

"Hi. I'm okay." Yuffie answered. Directing her next sentence to all of them, she said, "Thanks for letting me hang out here for a bit."

"Not a problem." Larxene smiled.

"What're you guys up to?" Cloud asked, leaning against the wall and taking a drink.

Demyx shrugged, "Not sure yet." he glanced at Yuffie and Zexion.

"I suppose we could go out for entertainment," Zexion suggested, at a loss.

Larxene thought for a minute, "You could go see a movie or something." she shrugged.

"Yeah, or to an arcade or mini-golfing or bowling," Cloud said, smirking at Zexion.

"Or the two high school students could do their homework," Zexion countered, giving Cloud a look.

Yuffie made a face and Demyx groaned.

"Well you have to do it eventually," Zexion muttered.

"Yeah, I know." Demyx sighed, before glancing at Yuffie.

She shrugged, "Doesn't matter to me."

"Oh, c'mon! You guys are in high school, are you seriously telling me you'd rather do homework than go out?" Cloud asked incredulously. "Don't let him scare you, go have fun!"

Demyx shrugged, "I dunno. Zex didn't seem like he wanted to go out." Glancing at Zexion, he shrugged again.

"We can go out if you want," Zexion said, blushing slightly.

Demyx chuckled, "It really doesn't matter to me."

"Well, this is the most uneventful get-together ever." Larxene rolled her eyes, "Make a decision or I'm taking all three of you to the Happy Funtime Place."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

Zexion headed for the door, "Movies it is, let's go."

Cloud laughed, shaking his head and going to his room, thoroughly amused.

Demyx chuckled, pulling his coat back on before glancing at Yuffie, "That okay?"

"Sure." Yuffie smiled.

"You drive while I find us a movie," Zexion said, heading out the door and pulling out his cell phone, absentmindedly calling over his shoulder, "Bye, Larxene, don't hurt Cloud while we're gone!"

"I make no promises!" Larxene called back as Demyx grabbed his keys.

XXXX

Reno leaned against his car, waiting for Namine to get out of her last Thursday class so that he could almost-literally kidnap her.

Namine smiled, hurrying down the stairs and out of the building, looking around for Reno.

Reno waved when he saw her to grab her attention.

Her smile widened when she caught sight of him, hurrying over and adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Hi."

"Hey," Reno said, leaning down to kiss her.

Namine was blushing when he pulled back, "So you never said where we were going."

"I know." Reno answered, opening her door for her.

She shook her head, getting in and placing her bag in the back, waiting for him to walk around and climb in himself before asking, "And you're not going to, are you?"

"Nope." he smiled, kissing her again before starting the car.

Namine sighed, still blushing. "We'll be back by Saturday, though?"

"I promise." Reno smiled.

"Tifa must hate me at this point," Namine chuckled. "I'm responsible for you taking all this time off of work lately."

Reno chuckled, "Before I met you I hardly ever took days off, so I'm pretty sure she's happy I have a life now."

Namine smiled, turning to look out the window, frowning when they made their way out of town. "Aren't you... going the wrong way?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, "Uh, no." he chuckled.

Namine frowned slightly, "We aren't going to Disneyplace?"

"Er, no." Reno said, "I didn't want to do the same thing two surprise dates in a row. Do you mind?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"No, not at all," Namine assured him. "I had just thought I'd figured it out, that's all."

Relieved, Reno smiled, "Well, not yet." he said.

"And you're sure you won't tell me?" she teased with a smile.

"Yep." Reno smiled again.

Namine sighed, "Well, will you tell me how long the drive will be, at least?"

"About two hours." Reno answered.

"Hmm," Namine hummed, trying to think of where he could possibly taking her before giving up and deciding to just wait. "You didn't have to take me on a big trip for my birthday, you know. I would've been equally happy with just being with you at home." She smiled at him.

"I know." Reno shrugged, "But I like taking you on big trips."

Namine shook her head. "You're spoiling me," she murmured.

"I'm okay with that." Reno smiled.

She shook her head again but couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face.

XXXX

Namine hummed along with the song playing, a comfortable silence between herself in Reno. The car turned to get off an exit and Namine curiously looked at the sign, blinking at it.

"Reno..." she said hesitantly.

"Yes?" Reno smiled.

"...Are we _staying _here?" Namine asked.

"Yep."

"Las York? We're staying in Las York? Reno, this is way too much!" Namine said. "The hotel rooms alone..."

"Not a hotel room." Reno said, "I've got friends, and one of them happens to have an apartment that she doesn't actually use anymore. You met her on my birthday, do you remember Paine?"

Namine nodded, "She's letting us stay in her apartment?"

"Yeah." Reno nodded, "That okay?"

"This is quite the mini-vacation," Namine murmured, slightly overwhelmed. "You really didn't have to do this."

"But I wanted to." Reno smiled, pulling into the parking lot of an apartment building and parking the car, "She's meeting us up there to give us the keys."

Namine nodded, climbing out of the car and taking his offered hand.

Reno squeezed her hand, and led her up into the apartment. Knocking on the door that Paine had told him was hers, they waited for a minute before she swung it open and grinned.

"Hey!" she grinned, letting them in. She grabbed keys off the kitchen table. "I'll get out of your hair in a minute," she promised, handing the keys over to Reno, "The front door is there, as well as the key to the elevator in the back, since this apartment building is convinced you need a key to take an elevator here."

"Well, you're only on the second floor, it's not like it's an exceptional amount of stairs." Reno shrugged.

"Still. Sometimes I'm tired and don't want to take any stairs." Paine rolled her eyes, "Hi again, Namine." she smiled.

Namine smiled back, "Are you sure this is all right? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Of course it's alright." Paine smiled, "I only still have this apartment because breaking my lease to leave would cost me more than paying it out." she shrugged, "I live with Baralai most of the time."

"If you're sure..." Namine said hesitantly.

Paine smiled, "Of course I'm sure. And happy birthday." she added.

"Thank you," Namine said helplessly, giving in.

Paine smiled, "Alright, I'm gonna get going. Have fun, try not to destroy anything." Grinning, she waved to the two before leaving the apartment.

Namine watched her leave before turning to Reno, "So do you have any specific plans or are we just here to sight-see?"

"This is your birthday trip." Reno answered, "It's up to you."

Namine grinned, "I want to see everything, then. All the wonderful places that are said to be here."

"Sure, sounds good." Reno smiled.

"Let's go, then!" she grabbed his hand, heading for the door.

XXXX

Seifer pulled up in front of Hayner's house and parked his car, hopping out and walking up to the front door.

Hayner closed the door behind him, meeting Seifer halfway up the path to his house, pulling his (Seifer's) jacket closer around him. "Hey."

"Hey." Seifer smiled.

"How was work?" Hayner asked as they went to the car.

Seifer shrugged, "Eh. Not particularly irritating for once."

Hayner nodded and climbed in, waiting for Seifer to walk around and do the same. "You know you don't have to walk up to the door every time you pick me up - you could honk or text me or something."

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Well, we're dating-the last thing I want is to be rude." he chuckled, starting his car.

Hayner flushed, staring intently out the window. "I'm not a girl," he muttered.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't change anything."

Hayner let the subject drop, "Dinner, right?"

"Yeah." Seifer nodded, "Then a movie. Still okay?"

"Yeah," Hayner shrugged. "Gonna let me pay this time?"

"Nope."

Hayner sighed in frustration, "How is it fair if you pay for everything? When I do stuff with Rox, we split it."

"Yeah, and are you dating Roxas?" Seifer raised an eyebrow.

Hayner gagged, "What? Dude, that's so gross!" He grimaced at the mental image, shuddering.

Seifer laughed.

"Roxas is my best friend, I did _not_ want that image in my head," Hayner said, still grossed out. "What the hell does me not dating him have to do with us splitting the bill when we go out, anyway?"

Seifer sighed, "Look, sweetheart, it just means that I'm going to keep paying for things. Especially considering that I have a job and you don't."

Hayner blushed lightly at the nickname but managed to glare at the blonde, "Why do I get the feeling that even if I _had_ a job, you still wouldn't let me pay?"

Seifer didn't answer that, laughing instead, as he pulled into Dragonfly Soy Sauce.

Hayner threw his hands up in frustration, "Fine. Whatever. Waste your money, see if I care."

Seifer chuckled, "C'mon, sweetheart."

Hayner sighed, climbing out of the car. "Is it really necessary to keep calling me that?"

"Well, if you can come up with something better, then I guess not." Seifer shrugged, "What would _you_ rather?"

"My name. Do you hate it or something?" Hayner grumbled.

"Of course I don't hate your name." Seifer blinked.

Hayner stared at him for several seconds. "You're so weird," he declared before turning and walking towards the restaurant.

"Well, you're dating me anyway, so I guess that means something." Seifer chuckled, hurrying to catch up with him.

Hayner rolled his eyes, pulling the door open. The host smiled at them and soon they were seated, waiting for their waitress.

"So what's your schedule like this weekend?" he asked.

"Working Saturday evening, but that's it." Seifer said, "Yours? Anything going on?"

"Nah," Hayner shrugged, glancing up as the waitress appeared, dressed in traditional silk clothes.

"Welcome to Dragonfly Soy Sauce," she said, bowing and offering a soft, shy smile. "My name is Miranda and I'll be your waitress tonight. Would you like to hear the specials?" She said this last part directly at Seifer, clearly checking him out.

"Sure." Seifer offered her a friendly smile.

Miranda beamed, rattling off the list from memory. "I'd highly recommend the chef's special tonight - it's nice and sweet with just a subtle kick of spice." She smiled again at Seifer, shifting slightly to better show off her curves.

Hayner clenched his fists under the table, realizing that this idiot was flirting with Seifer!

Not really concerned with the flirty waitress, Seifer glanced at Hayner.

"Actually we want the large combo to split," Hayner ground out, flushing when the waitress absently turned her attention to him.

"Ah," she said. "Very well." She sent one last smile to Seifer and sauntered away, swaying her hips.

If looks could kill, Hayner's glare would've dropped her on the spot.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, having never seen Hayner glare _quite_ that angrily at anyone before. (Roxas included.)

Once she disappeared from sight, Hayner turned to Seifer and said apologetically, "I hope that was okay, ordering for us both like that." He blushed lightly.

"Of course." Seifer chuckled.

"So did you want to hang out this weekend or did you have plans with your friends?" Hayner asked.

"Sure. I've got nothing going on." Seifer shrugged.

"Okay!" Hayner grinned, clearly happy.

Seifer smiled.

A few minutes later, Miranda returned carrying a large platter of food. She bent over to place it on the table directly in front of Seifer.

Hayner scowled at her, glaring as she told them to enjoy their meal before moving off to another table.

Seifer pushed the plate forward so that it was more between them and Hayner could actually reach it.

Hayner nodded his thanks, grabbing a fork and digging in. He was just swallowing his first bite when Miranda appeared again.

"Everything okay?" she asked with a smile.

"Fine," Hayner snapped harshly.

"Oh, your drink is almost empty - let me refill that for you," she said, taking Seifer's half-full glass and walking away.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Girls _do_ realize that pushing themselves on you doesn't work, right?" he asked Hayner.

"Apparently not," he muttered darkly as Miranda reappeared with a full glass, placing it in front of Seifer. "Is there anything else I can you? Either of you?" she added with a glance to Hayner.

"No," Hayner ground out and she merely smiled and nodded, moving away again.

Seifer reached across the table and squeezed his hand, "Deep breaths, dear." he joked.

Hayner glared at him but didn't pull his hand away.

Seifer chuckled, maneuvering his left hand so that he could attempt to eat despite Hayner's grip on his dominant hand.

They ate in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the food, when Miranda appeared again, not at all faltering in her blatant flirting with Seifer despite the fact that the two were clearly holding hands.

"How are we doing?" she asked with another smile.

Hayner snapped. "We'd be doing better if you opened your fucking eyes and realized he's taken!"

Miranda jerked back, "Sir, I-"

"Just shut up and leave us alone to eat in peace!" Hayner growled. "He's **mine**." He lifted their linked hands for emphasis.

Miranda nodded, appearing to be on the verge of tears before she fled from the couple.

Hayner scowled for a moment longer before sheepishly looking at Seifer, blushing bright red.

Seifer, quite pleased and smirking a little, raised an eyebrow.

Hayner ducked his head to stare at the food, mumbling, "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Seifer chuckled, "That was awesome."

Hayner's head jerked up as he stared at Seifer, still blushing. "Yeah?"

Seifer nodded, smiling at him.

Hayner grinned back, obviously glad Seifer wasn't annoyed with him.

XXXX

*blinks* Hayner willingly declared Seifer his boyfriend? THE WORLD IS ENDING! :D

Hope you guys liked that, we've got some great plotlines coming up next!

Thanks for all the support! Reviews are lovely!


	47. 2 Turn 22

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can pretend I'm a coat hanger." Sora informed Kairi as she tossed her sweater on top of the coat she'd previously tossed on top of him.

"Oh don't be silly, I do this whether it's my birthday or not." Kairi stuck her tongue out.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Where's Nam, anyway?"

"Still out with Reno. He brought her to Las York." Kairi answered as Sora tossed the coat and sweater on the ground, "She'll be here soon."

Sora nodded, "Yeah, Riku told me about that. She have fun?"

"Of course." Kairi laughed, "She's Namine. Where's Riku?"

"I'm right here," Riku said dryly, leaning on the doorway he had entered the room from.

"Don't give me that look, you were so not there a minute ago." Kairi laughed.

Riku chuckled, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Kairi grinned.

"So what's Xigbar got planned for you?" Riku asked, pushing off from the doorway and walking over to the pair, slinging an arm around Sora.

"He didn't tell me a thing, just that I have to wear a dress." Kairi made a face.

"A surprise then? That could be fun," Riku mused.

Kairi smiled.

Sora rolled his eyes, "It's Xigbar, I'm sure she'll have fun."

"This is true." Kairi smiled again.

Riku smirked, "Good thing your birthday happens to fall on a weekend this year, huh?"

"Very," Kairi grinned.

They were interrupted by the doorbell.

"That's gotta be Nami," Riku said.

"COME IN!" Sora shouted, too lazy to move despite having not sat down yet.

Riku rolled his eyes at his boyfriend as Namine walked inside, closing the door behind her. "Hi!"

"Happy birthday!" Riku hugged her.

"Thank you!" Namine grinned.

Kairi poked her head out of the living room, "Hey!"

Namine smiled at her sister, following Riku into the living room. "Hi," she repeated.

"Happy birthday!" Sora grinned.

"Thank you," Namine said, smile widening.

"So did you have fun with Reno?" Riku asked.

Namine sighed happily, "Yes! We had an amazing time!"

"Anyone want something to drink before we inevitably make Namine spill all the details?" Sora asked.

Namine laughed, "In that case, I'd like a glass of water, thank you."

Riku grinned, "Grab me something, too. I don't care what."

"Kay. Be right back." Sora said, dashing into the kitchen. He came back out a few minutes later with three cans and a glass of water. He handed Namine the glass, tossed a can in Kairi's direction, and then plopped onto the couch next to Riku, handing him one of the remaining cans.

"Thank you," Namine said, taking a sip.  
Riku kissed his cheek, "Thanks."

Kairi popped her root beer open with a grin as Sora shrugged.

"So, then." Kairi grinned at her sister, "Details!"

Namine giggled, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." Kairi answered. "Start talking."

"Well, we stayed at Paine's apartment - Reno's friend," Namine clarified.

"Right, yeah she's living with her boyfriend now," Riku said, nodding.

"Yes. So she let us stay there, and really we were hardly in her apartment. We went to all the museums and tourist spots and just wandered around. It was incredible. We'd get back so late, though, that we'd both just pass out and then get up to go out all day the next morning," Namine said with a smile, remembering.

Riku tugged Sora to his side, smiling as his best friend was clearly very happy.

"Aww, that's adorable." Kairi grinned.

"We - well, I had a lot of fun," Namine said, nodding.

"I'm sure Reno had fun, too," Riku insisted.

"I hope so," Namine said. "Although he really needs to learn that I would've been equally happy with something not as extravagant as a gift."

Kairi grinned.

"He's trying to impress you," Riku said.

"I don't need impressing," Namine insisted.

Riku chuckled, "You won't convince him of that. Seriously, Nami, just enjoy it."

"Yeah, really, just let him dote on you." Kairi grinned, "Besides, you two are adorable."

Namine shrugged helplessly, smiling.

"So do you want the cake now, or...?" Riku asked with a grin, glancing between the sisters'.

"Yes!" Kairi answered.

Riku laughed, "Come on then!" He stood, pulling Sora up with him, the girls not far behind. The four walked into the kitchen and Riku pulled the cake from the fridge, setting it on the counter and grabbing the serving knife, offering it to the girls. "Who wants first cut?"

Namine looked at Kairi, "Together?"

"Sure." Kairi smiled.

They took the knife and neatly sliced the cake together, both grinning. Riku took over dealing out the cake as he'd actually paid attention when Roxas had given the orders to Sora that morning.

"Mhmm, thank Roxas for us," Namine said, taking a bite and loving it.

"Damn, that kid can cook," Riku moaned appreciatively.

Kairi was too busy inhaling her piece of cake to do anything other than nod, and Sora laughed. "He'll be happy to hear it."

Riku smirked, finishing off his piece and quickly stabbing a chunk of Sora's, eating it with a laugh.

Sora pouted, "Hey."

"What?" Riku asked innocently.

Namine shared a look with Kairi.

Kairi laughed.

XXXX

Xigbar bowed gallantly, waggling his eyebrows at Kairi as he pulled the car door open for her, gesturing her inside.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, smiling softly at him and climbing in.

Xigbar chuckled to himself, rushing around the car and hopping in, starting the engine. "So, having a good birthday so far?"

Kairi smiled at him, nodding, "Yeah, it's been really nice." she said, "Thank you."

"No problem, Red. The night is young," Xigbar grinned.

Kairi smiled again, "So, where are we going?"

"To a place," Xigbar answered immediately.

"That's specific." Kairi rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Careful, Sass, don't want your face to freeze that way," Xigbar laughed.

"Sure, sure." Kairi laughed.

Xigbar grinned at her, driving to the relative edges of town, pulling into an abandoned parking lot and parking. "We're here, Red."

Kairi glanced around before her gaze settled on Xigbar.

Xigbar's grin widened and he winked at her before turning off the car and climbing out, walking around to pull open her door.

Kairi climbed out, smoothing down her dress.

"Did I tell you you look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Red?" Xigbar asked, leaning in to kiss her.

"Mmm, yes, but I don't mind hearing it again." Kairi teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Xigbar chuckled, kissing her again before pulling out of her hold. Taking her hand, he pulled her a few steps away from the car. "Hold that thought, Red." He smiled and opened the backseat, pulling out a small CD player and a bucket with champagne and glasses. Setting the player on the hood of his car, he popped open the bottle and poured them both a glass, turning the soft music on before offering Kairi her glass.

"Happy birthday," Xigbar grinned.

Kairi smiled at him, "Thank you." she said, taking a sip.

Xigbar nodded, taking his own sip before setting his glass down on the pavement and offering Kairi his hand. "May I have the honor of this dance?"

Kairi giggled, taking his hand and nodding.

Xigbar smiled, setting her glass down as well before taking her into his arms and twirling her around before settling into a slow dance to the gentle music playing.

"So how about you spend the night at my place tonight? Leon and Seifer won't be there - it'll be just you and me," Xigbar said.

"I like this plan." Kairi grinned. "I'd love to."

Xigbar grinned back, "Good. I already told Namine you wouldn't be coming home tonight."

Kairi blinked, "Wait, what?" she laughed.

Xigbar grinned cheekily, "I knew you'd say yes, Red."

Kairi rolled her eyes, before smirking.

Xigbar twirled her around again. "You're so damn beautiful, Red, especially when you get that twinkle in your eye. Outshine all the stars," he chuckled, shaking his head.

Kairi blushed, "Thank you." she said, not quite sure why she was suddenly acting like her sister.

Xigbar laughed, kissing her. "You're sexy when you blush, too."

Kairi chuckled, pulling him back in to kiss him again.

XXXX

Kairi snuggled into Xigbar's chest as she woke up, blinking a few times to try and clear her vision.

Xigbar shifted, tightening his grip on her momentarily before yawning loudly. Noticing that she was up, he smiled, "Morning Red."

"Morning." Kairi smiled back.

Xigbar shifted, bare legs bumping into Kairi's, and his smile widened. "Hope you had fun last night."

Kairi chuckled, "I have a feeling you already know I did." she rolled her eyes.

Xigbar snickered, kissing her quickly before stretching. "How's breakfast in bed sound?"

"Sounds lovely, but I don't want you moving." Kairi chuckled, "Not yet." she pulled him back down to kiss him again.

Xigbar laughed but gladly complied, kissing her back. Hearing some movement in the apartment, he pulled back, "Bet that's Leon cooking. Goody, I'll just steal some of his breakfast."

"But then you have to move." Kairi pouted.

"Only for a few moments," he assured, kissing her again. "You won't even have time to miss me."

"I doubt that." Kairi sighed overdramatically, but let him go.

Xigbar laughed as he finally got out of the bed, hunting around for a minute for his boxers before pulling them on. Winking at the redhead snuggled in his bed, he grinned and said, "Back in a flash, Red. Milk or orange juice?"

"Orange juice please and thank you." Kairi grinned.

"You got it," he said, sauntering out of his bedroom and heading towards the kitchen.

XXXX

Roxas paused, having dragged a chair halfway to the counters, poking his head out of the kitchen just as Sora closed the door behind him. "Great, you're home! Help me?"

Sora walked in, "What's up?"

"Why is my big mixing bowl in the top cabinet? Did Mom put it away again?" Roxas asked, leading Sora into the kitchen.

"Maybe Axel put it there to spite you." Sora shrugged, pulling it down and handing it to Roxas.

"He wouldn't do that... would he?" Roxas questioned. Shaking his head and taking the mixing bowl from his brother, he set it on the counter and glanced around. "No Riku?"

"I was joking, I highly doubt it was Axel." Sora shrugged, "Nah, Riku's actually at work for once." he shrugged. "Whatcha making?"

"I was thinking of sugar cookies but I'm open to suggestions," Roxas said. "Need a Thursday pick-me-up?"

"Yes please." Sora groaned, "Hate Thursdays."

"Whatcha want, then? The fudge brownies or the double chocolate cake?" Roxas asked with a grin, beginning to switch out the ingredients he'd gathered with different ones.

"Brownies." Sora answered, "Did I mention you're awesome?"

Roxas laughed, "Not today." He grabbed what he needed to start baking, measuring and mixing ingredients. "So what's up? We never talk anymore." Roxas pouted.

"It's not my fault you're never here." Sora teased. "Not much. I think I might've found a place willing to hire me after I graduate."

Roxas stuck his tongue out at his brother, "Maybe if you weren't constantly trying to shove your tongue down Riku's throat, I'd stay home more often! And who'll hire you?"

Sora rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like it's a huge accomplishment for me to find a job. The Magic Moogle needs someone to do their advertising and stuff."

Roxas snorted, "The place on campus? I thought you were a do-gooder major."

"I'm a human resources major." Sora shrugged.

"And that has what exactly to do with advertising?" Roxas questioned, stirring the brownie batter.

Sora shrugged.

Roxas shook his head and laughed, taking his mixing spoon and non-too-gently shoving it in Sora's mouth before pouring out the brownies and placing the into the over to cook.

Sora pulled the spoon out of his mouth, coughing, before recovering enough to actually enjoy it. "So, what about you? What've you been up to?"

Roxas shrugged, "School. Axel. Mostly Axel, really."

Sora laughed, "Right, right."

"Things with Riku seem good. You two do it yet?" Roxas asked with a sadistic grin.

Sora gave his brother a look, "No, and I'm not asking the same because I don't want to hear about your sexual exploits with Axel. No offense. I'm sure Kairi would love to, so if you want to tell someone, tell her instead."

Roxas shuddered, "No way! Don't you remember the awfulness when she gave us the talk? I could never talk to her about sex! Although she's gotta know we're doing stuff after Halloween..."

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Halloween? Do I finally get to hear this story?"

Roxas cursed, blushing lightly. "Honestly, Sor, I don't think you'd be able to handle the story."

Sora blinked.

Roxas cursed again before staring at the ceiling and muttering, "High heels, fishnets, and makeup," face bright red now.

Sora blinked again. "Fuck, you're right, could've gone without that mental image. Do me a favor and don't tell Kairi I know so that I don't see the pictures."

Roxas sighed, nodding. "Told you. Oh, and don't go in my closet, for the same reason."

"Advice noted." Sora nodded.

"God," Roxas muttered, putting his hands on his flaming cheeks to try to cool them. "And I thought I couldn't possibly get embarrassed in front of you anymore after tenth grade."

Sora just grinned.

"When's Mom home next? And are you buying her flowers again for Valentine's day or should I?" Roxas asked, completely changing the subject.

"I think she's got tomorrow off." Sora answered, "And... I can do it if you want, but it doesn't matter to me."

"I found a new recipe for strawberry-filled chocolates that I was going to try out," Roxas answered. "But I won't have them ready for tomorrow. So if you do do flowers, don't do them tomorrow 'cause I'm not ready."

"Sounds good. I'll figure out if she'll be around closer to the 14th, then." Sora nodded.

"Okay," Roxas said as the timer went off. Carefully pulling the brownies from the over, he placed them on the counter to cool, smacking Sora's hand away. "They're too hot right now!"

Sora pouted.

"Besides," Roxas added, "I have to add the top layer of fudge yet. Patience is a virtue and all that."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Fiiiine."

Roxas laughed, carefully prying the brownies out of the pan and smoothing the fudge, offering Sora the butter knife he'd used. "Well, happy Thursday."

Sora chuckled, "Haha, thanks."

XXXX

"Roxas?" Larxene blinked as she opened the door, "Axel's at work."

Roxas frowned, "He gets done soon, though, right?"

"Well, yeah." Larxene nodded, "Maybe." she blinked for a minute, "Fuck, his schedule's on the fridge." she shut the door behind Roxas and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

Roxas tilted his head, "Were you sleeping? Late night?"

"Overnight stocking shift at the Hardware Store Place." Larxene sighed, "Must've done something to piss Leon off, 'cause he booked me for three of them next week."

Roxas laughed, "I thought you might've been up all night on the phone." He winked at her, plopping onto the couch.

Larxene yawned again, sitting down in a chair, "Would have been a much more enjoyable night."

"I bet," Roxas chuckled. He glanced around the unusually quiet house. "No one else here?"

"Nope." Larxene shrugged, "Only half awake, can't remember everyone's schedule. Did you check to see if I was making Axel's up?"

Blushing lightly, Roxas said, "I kinda have it memorized. Guess I just beat him here..."

Larxene chuckled, "M'sure he'll be back soon."

Roxas nodded, absently fingering the pendant around his neck. Glancing at Larxene out of the corner of his eyes, he asked, "You've been friends with Axel a long time, right? He ever had a lasting relationship before? With _men_?"

"Isn't this more of a question for Axel?" Larxene raised an eyebrow, "It's not like he won't tell you."

"Right, you're right. Never mind," Roxas said quickly, dropping it.

Larxene raised an eyebrow, "Roxas? I don't _mind_ telling you, I was just curious. It's not like Axel's past love life is a secret."

"I... do I spend too much time here?" the blonde blurted out.

Larxene blinked, "Not sure if I'm too tired or if those words just actually came from your mouth. Of _course_ you don't spend too much time here, Roxas."

"I didn't mean to just hang out or that I'm not welcome," Roxas said, frustrated. "I meant with Axel. I see him, like, every day. Is that too clingy? Am I trying too hard? But it doesn't really feel like trying and it _should_, right? It shouldn't be easy!"

Realizing what was going on, Larxene sighed and smiled, "Doesn't always have to feel like trying, no. Depends on the relationship. What brought this on?"

Roxas threw his hands up in the air, "I've never had a relationship last this long before. Usually I'm either accused of being too clingy or not interested enough. And I've never had anyone for Valentine's day besides that one year when I decided a one-night-stand was the way to go!" More calmly, he clutched the pendant again, "And I get that Philip was your friend and he's dead and all, but were he and Axel fucking?"

Larxene's eyes widened, "Whoah!" she said, moving over onto the couch and putting her hands on Roxas's shoulders. "First off, hell no, Axel and Philip were _not_ involved. Dunno if there were any feelings on Axel's side-you'll have to ask that yourself-but Philip had a girlfriend for most of the time they were friends. It was just the shit near the beginning of high school that fucked with the both of them, nothing else. As for your earlier concerns, Axel doesn't hold emotions back-if he thought you were being too clingy, he'd have said something by now, at least to one of us," she gestured to herself, "if not straight to you. And I can promise you that he hasn't."

Roxas relaxed a little, hand no longer clutching the pendant. "Okay. I just... sometimes I feel more at home here than at home, and it scares me. I know your kitchen as good as my own and everything stays where I put it here while at home things tend to move around. And now that Sora's finally with Riku, there's less of a reason to even go home at night and that really scares me, too."

Larxene smiled, "I think that's just kind of proof that you're happy. It's a little scary, you're right, but do you usually feel all that scared when you're actually around Axel?"

Before Roxas could answer, Axel opened the door. Glaring over, Larxene snapped. "Shoo!"

Axel blinked.

"Ten minutes! Out!"

Almost fearful for his life, Axel backed out, shutting the door again.

Roxas paled when the door opened but burst out laughing at Axel's face as he closed the door. Warmly, he answered Larxene's question, "No. Somehow nothing is really that bad around him."

Larxene, apparently not phased by yelling at Axel, smiled at him, "See? Everything's fine and you're worrying about nothing. I promise that if Axel ever does mention issues to me, Cloud, Zex, or Dem, we'll tell you. For now, though, you should _probably_ make sure he knows I'm not gonna kill him."

Roxas smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Larx." He hugged her quickly before bounding to the door, yanking it open and pulling a somewhat stunned Axel down to kiss him thoroughly.

When Roxas pulled back, Axel spoke, "Do I get to come in now, or will I just get kicked out again?"

"You can come in now," Roxas grinned.

Axel smirked, kissing him again before walking inside.

Roxas sighed happily, "I love you."

"Love you too." Axel smiled down at him, "So, uh, why was I kicked out?"

"Don't ask questions, Scarlet." Larxene rolled her eyes from the couch.

"Larxene was only telling me about your most embarrassing moments, naturally," Roxas snickered.

"Oh, naturally." Axel shook his head, "She totally would, too."

"Didn't deny it." Larxene shrugged.

Roxas laughed before turning serious. "So what are our plans for today? Because I really need to go grocery shopping for Valentine's day."

Axel shrugged, "Want to go now, then?" he asked.

"Sure," Roxas agreed. "By the way Larxene, what's your favorite kind of chocolate?"

Larxene blinked, "Er, white chocolate. Why?"

"No allergies, right?" Roxas asked, ignoring her question.

"Right. Do I get an answer?"

"You'll figure it out, but... thanks," Roxas smiled at her before squeezing Axel's hand. "Let's go?"

"Sure. Later, Larx." Axel waved.

"Kay, whatever. Have fun." Larxene waved back, plopping backwards on the couch so she was laying across it.

Fifteen minutes after the couple left, Cloud walked in, kicking off his shoes and plopping into a chair. "Why are people idiots?"

"Because people have an innate ability to harness stupidity. What's up?" Larxene sat up.

"This car came in with one of the dirtiest engines I've ever seen, and trust me I've seen a lot. And when Xigbar asked the girl when was the last time she had her oil changed, she looked at him like he had three heads before lighting up and saying, 'Oh! Is that what the light is? That's been on for years!'" Cloud groaned. "It's no wonder the thing didn't blow up."

Larxene grimaced, "Eesh."

"And then she was outraged when I told her I couldn't fix it then and there and it needed lot of work. What the hell did she expect, me to pull out a magic wand and fix years of corrosion with a blast of glitter?" Cloud growled. "Xigbar explained like three times that it would take a while before I called her a cab and kicked her out, sick of the whining."

"For the record, I'd pay to see you wave a wand and fix cars with glitter." Larxene smirked.

Cloud glared before smiling vindictively, "Enjoying the night shift?"

Larxene frowned, "What did I do to you?"

"Nothing yet," Cloud shrugged. "But I know it's coming. And it wasn't all me. You know Leon's got two workers sick right now, so it was himself, you, or Dem. Guess who I voted for?"

"Let me get this straight, this was a preemptive strike for something you have no proof is coming." Larxene said.

Cloud frowned, "Playing innocent doesn't suit you - I know you're up to something."

Larxene rolled her eyes, "Sure, sure I am."

"Did you ever get all that stuff sorted out with Saix about Zexion's family?" Cloud asked, completely changing the subject, not liking the new glint in her eyes.

Still smirking a little, but dropping the other subject, Larxene nodded, "Oh, yeah, we figured that all out. They had no case in the first place, it was easy."

Before Cloud could ask her more about it, Zexion walked into the house, closely followed by Demyx and Yuffie.

"You're home already, Cloud?" Zexion asked, surprised to see the blonde.

"Just on break. I should head back," he said, standing. "Larx, talk to you later?"

"Yeah, remind me, I have things to tell you." Larxene smiled.

Cloud nodded, smiling at the teens as he slipped his shoes back on and left.

"Hey guys." Larxene waved.

"Hey, Larx." Demyx nodded and Yuffie smiled.

"I feel like I've been visited by everyone today." Larxene said, "Well, now that I've officially seen everyone, I'm off to nap, since I'm still exhausted." she hopped up, "See you later, guys." she waved, walking away.

**XXXX**

Hi everyone! Cami here, long time no see. Sorry, it's just easier for Jas to write author's notes, since she uploads and all.

With the plotline we're writing right now, though… for once I'm the more organized one that thinks of things.

And on that note, TODAY'S THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS FIC BEING UPLOADED. To think, a year ago today, I managed to convince Jas that this wasn't a stupid idea. And now look where we are. :)

I'm mostly joking around, but seriously, everyone who's read and reviewed, thank you so much for your support. It means a lot.

See you next chapter!


	48. VALENTINE'S DAY!

Hehe.. Um... Hi. *hides*

Sorry this took so long to get posted! This past semester was really very tiring for both Cami and myself. But good news! We have a few chapters (finally) done, so expect to see some more updating!

Enjoy!

We don't own KH / FF.

XXXX

Feeling quite a bit like she slept way too much (which was bad considering that she hadn't been sleeping much at all), Larxene groaned as she pulled herself out of bed to answer the incessantly ringing doorbell. Pulling open the door, she blinked when it wasn't one of her roommates' friends on the other side.

"Delivery for Larxene Gray." The slightly-annoyed man said.

Larxene glanced down at the box before nodding, "Okay..."

"Just take it." he shoved the box into her hands before turning on his heel and walking away. Blinking after him, Larxene kicked the door shut and walked over to the counter to open the box.

Cloud walked in, yawning and shaking his head, wet hair flipping before settling into his usual spikes. "Who was that? Sorry I didn't get it - was in the shower."

"Asshole delivery guy." Larxene answered, pulling the box open to reveal a dozen red roses. A smile crept onto her face, "Worth it, though."

"Ooh, classy," Cloud grinned at her, catching sight of the flowers as he grabbed a drink. Slowly, his grin widened. "Ah, that's brilliant! Larxene, you're a genius!"

Larxene blinked, "I didn't do anything this time. If whatever you're planning blows up in your face, it is _so_ not my fault."

"It won't. It'll be amazing," Cloud assured her, glancing at the clock. "I gotta go if I'm gonna have enough time... Later! Thanks!"

Blinking again, Larxene called, "No problem," before shaking her head and rooting around the kitchen to try and find something nice to put the flowers in.

XXXX

An hour later, a slightly harassed delivery boy walked into the Hardware Store Place, asking for and being directed to Leon's office, muttering about how much he hated Valentine's Day as he walked back and knocked firmly.

Leon opened the door, slightly startled at the sight of the delivery boy, who handed the flowers to Leon without saying a word and stomped away. Raising an eyebrow, Leon opened the box in his hands to reveal a bouquet of tulips and a note. Freeing the note from the confines of the stems, he opened it.

_Leon:_

_Happy Valentine's Day! You're like a breath of fresh fragrance in my life, and I couldn't possibly last without you._

_XOXOXO_

_Your favorite blonde_

Leon rolled his eyes, putting the flowers down on his desk and leaning against it to think for a moment, before pulling his phone out.

"_Leon?"_ Zack half-whispered. _"What's going on?"_

"Sorry to interrupt your Valentine's Day." Leon answered, "Are you busy?"

"_Not at the moment," _Zack answered. _"Everything okay?"_

"Yeah, everything's fine. Think you could help me with something, then? For Cloud, for Valentine's?"

"_Sure! What'dya have planned for Cloudy? Something special, I hope!"_

"Well, this is more of a joke than a plan, and he started it." Leon said, before explaining his plan to Zack.

Zack chuckled, _"All right, I'll see you soon!"_

"Thanks, Zack."

"_No problem!"_ Zack said before hanging up.

XXXX

Leon paid the cashier at the local Cute Stuff Store (that was what Seifer and Xigbar called the place, at least), before exiting and glancing at his phone to see what time it was.

"Leon!" Zack shouted, spotting the brunette.

Leon turned, "Hey," he nodded, "Thanks for coming out here. Aerith didn't mind too much, did she?"

"Nope. She's napping now; I've got a surprise for her when she gets up, but she knows I'm helping you right now, so no worries," Zack explained.

Leon nodded, "Thanks again."

"No problem. So I gotta take this to Cloudy 'cause you're being cute by mimicking how you guys met?" He grinned.

Leon chuckled, "Like I said, Cloud started it."

"Awww. You two are so adorable!" Zack laughed. More seriously, he said, "He really likes you, Leon. Don't mess it up, kay?"

Leon chuckled again, "Don't worry, I don't want to mess this up."

"Good. Okay, gimme the goods so I can visit my favorite blonde and get back to my gorgeously pregnant wife," Zack demanded.

Leon handed over the box, but before Zack could leave, he opened it and grabbed the note out, pinning it to Zack instead. "That okay?"

Zack grinned, "Sure! I love being Cloudy's Valentine's gift. This isn't the first time." He winked at Leon. "Be ready to have a feisty blonde on your hands later!" With that sage piece of advice, Zack waved and left.

XXXX

"Cid!" Zack yelled, bounding over the man as he cursed at paperwork, having not spotted Cloud yet in the garage.

"Christ, kid, I forgot how loud you were," Cid muttered.

Zack grinned, "I'm doing good, thanks! Aerith's pregnant - did Cloud tell you?"

"Oh god, the world doesn't need another you running around," Cid groaned.

Zack chuckled, "Thanks! Sorry I haven't visited lately."

"Been quieter," Cid grunted.

"Aw, you missed me!" Zack chuckled.

Cid glared at Zack but couldn't quite hide his grin. "The kid's in the break room - go on, get outta here! I'm workin'."

"Thanks, Cid! See you later!" Zack waved and walked over to the break room, leaving Cid to shake his head and go back to Cloud's botched paperwork.

"Hiya Cloudy!" Zack said, walking in.

Cloud stood, "Zack! What are you doing here?"

"Can't I visit my best friend? Happy Valentine's Day!" Zack grinned.

Cloud smiled back, "You too. How's Aerith doing?"

"Great! Getting bigger all the time, she's so sexy..." Zack trailed off before refocusing. "Right! Here you go! I'm your Valentine's present!"

Cloud studied Zack curiously, "What?"

"Leon sent me," Zack said, pointing out the card pinned to his jacket.

Cloud laughed, "So he got it then. Good." He murmured, leaning close and plucking the card off of Zack, reading it quickly:

Cloud- Right back atcha. See you tonight.

Cloud smiled softly as he read it and Zack grinned, knowing his friend was really, truly happy.

"Got plans tonight, huh?" Zack asked, winking.

"Yeah," Cloud said, looking up from the card and nodding.

"Have fun! Don't forget your chocolates," Zack said, handing over the bag.

"Heh. Thanks, Zack. Sorry to drag you from Aerith," Cloud said.

Zack laughed, "Don't worry, this was fun! I'm glad you're happy, Cloudy. Now, don't daydream while you're working, don't want you getting hurt. You use that gift card yet?"

"What? No! Zack!" Cloud sputtered, blushing.

Zack laughed again, "All right, all right. Just have fun then. Make sure he treats you right."

"Zack..." Cloud muttered, still blushing.

Zack grinned and hugged Cloud quickly. "See ya, Cloudy."

He walked out of the office, leaving the blonde to stare dreamily at the card and candy, still blushing lightly.

"Bye, Cid! Might wanna give Cloud a minute, he's back there having sexual fantasies about his boyfriend!" Zack yelled on his way out.

"ZACK!" Cloud yelled while Cid just groaned, muttering, "I'm too old for this crap."

XXXX

Riku pulled back from Sora, taking a much needed gulp of air, humming in the back of his throat as Sora's fingers raked through his hair.

Breathless, Sora managed to mutter, "We were supposed to be making plans," before leaning back in and kissing Riku again.

Riku hummed in agreement, sucking on Sora's tongue lightly, nipping at his bottom lip before pulling back again and settling his hands firmly on the brunette's shoulders. "Did you wanna go out for Valentine's Day? You never answered me."

"I never answered you because you asked while you were shirtless and still wet from your shower, ass." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Really, Sora, am I that good looking?" Riku teased, grinning.

Sora gave him a look, "Shut up."

Smirking, Riku tightened his grip before leaning in and licking Sora's ear, whispering, "Make me."

Smirking, Sora turned his head so he could kiss Riku again.

"Ah ah," Riku shook his head, pulling back with a grin. "You haven't answered my question properly."

Sora shifted, pushing Riku down so that he was straddling him, now in control. "Hm, I don't think I need to." he shrugged.

Riku gripped Sora's waist, absentmindedly rubbing the skin he found there, playing with the hemline of Sora's shirt. "You're right," he said, grinning, "we both know I'm hot."

Sora groaned, burying his face in Riku's neck and nipping, "Maybe we should just stay here-I don't feel like moving."

"Mhmm. Or you could let me take you out to dinner and then you could spend the night," Riku suggested, one hand creeping slowly up Sora's back to tangle in his hair.

Sora moved up a little, whispering into Riku's ear, "Who says you have to take me out to dinner for me to spend the night?"

Riku's eyes darkened and he yanked non-too-gently at Sora's hair, pulling him in for a bruising, crushing kiss. "God I love you," he muttered between kisses. "But I'm still taking you out."

Sora smirked, "Kay." he mumbled as he kissed Riku again, his boyfriend's second statement probably not fully registering in his head.

Riku's grip tightened around Sora and he rolled them over, pinning the brunette to the couch, panting lightly as he kissed his entire face. "We should stop. Get up. Go out," he said, not moving and continuing to kiss his boyfriend, trailing down his neck.

"Mmm," Sora answered, shifting to try and capture Riku's lips again.

Just as Riku crushed their lips back together, the doorbell went off. He jumped a little but otherwise made no move to get up, enjoying his position on top of Sora far too much to move.

The doorbell rang again, this time more incessantly.

Cursing, Riku pulled back. "I should get that."

"Yeah, you probably should." Reno's voice filtered over.

"Fuck!" Riku yelled, scrambling up and off of Sora.

Reno was casually leaning against the door frame; he'd only arrived home a couple of moments earlier and decided to attempt to use the doorbell as a wake up call for the two of them. Luckily (for him) his position meant that he could only hear them and not really see them, something he was incredibly grateful for.

Riku became acutely aware of the fact that he still had no shirt on, face heating up. "We - you - how - I - uh - but - s-sorry," Riku stuttered.

Reno chuckled, noticing Sora had yet to rise from the couch (mostly because he'd buried his face in the cushions and was avoiding facing the situation entirely), "Don't care what you do, would prefer not to see it."

Riku nodded emphatically, "Right. Good. I'm gonna - clothes." He fled to his room.

Reno laughed, "You all right, Sora?"

"Fine," Sora mumbled, still not moving.

"Tell Riku I'll be in my room, kay?" Reno asked, waving over his shoulder as he shut the apartment door and crossed the living room to his bedroom.

Cautiously, Riku walked out of his room, tensing when he couldn't immediately spot Reno. "Sora?" he murmured, heading for the couch, this time wearing a shirt.

Sora finally poked his head over the couch, "Hey." After pausing for a moment, he spoke again, "Time to go out for lunch, maybe?"

Riku sighed, nodding. "Yeah," he smiled, offering Sora his hand.

Sora took it, standing up and squeezing Riku's hand. Before they left, though, he leaned over and whispered, "Do I still get to sleep over?"

"We're locking my bedroom door if you do," Riku muttered. "Do you still want to?" He studied Sora's face, trying to see how uncomfortable he was.

Sora raised an eyebrow at the sudden caution, "Of course I do."

"Wasn't sure if Reno'd scared you off," Riku admitted.

Sora shook his head, "Nah, just startled me. You're the one who dashed for your room." he joked.

"My brother had just walked on me when I was half-naked on top of my boyfriend!" Riku protested. "How would _you_ feel if Roxas saw that? Or Kairi?"

"I've caught Roxas doing worse." Sora grumbled, "And hell if I know what Kairi would do, she's Kairi."

Riku sighed, shaking his head, "Let's just get our food. By the time we're done, I should be able to look at Reno without flinching."

Sora chuckled, squeezing Riku's hand, "I think it's a younger brother thing."

Riku nodded, "Maybe. C'mon, let's go." Riku pulled Sora towards the door, "Reno! We're leaving!"

"See you later!" Reno called back.

XXXX

Zack carried the tray into the bedroom, setting it down next to Aerith and beaming at her. "Lunch is served!"

Aerith looked up from her book, "Aww, Zack, thank you." she smiled at him.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Zack grinned, grabbing the rose off of the tray and presenting it to his wife with a bow and a wink.

"Thank you," Aerith smiled, pulling him in to give him a kiss, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Zack kissed her back before climbing onto the bed and sitting next to her, holding the tray on his lap. "Come on, dig in! I even got your favorite chocolates for dessert!"

Aerith smiled softly, taking a bite, "Thank you, Zack."

Zack grinned and nodded. "I love you. And you, too," he said, placing his hand on her stomach and smiling at her.

As if hearing its daddy's voice, there was suddenly a thump against Zack's hand. Aerith's eyes widened.

Zack jerked and stared at Aerith before looking at her stomach in awe. "Whoa!" he breathed, hesitantly placing his hand back on her stomach, feeling another kick. His face lit up and he wrapped his other arm around Aerith, letting out a small laugh. "Aerith! The baby!"

"Zack..." Aerith breathed, putting her hand on top of his and leaning into him as the baby kicked again.

"Hi. Hi in there. It's your dad," Zack said quietly to his unborn baby. "I love you. Mommy loves you. We can't wait to meet you." His grin widened and he kissed Aerith softly.

Aerith snuggled into him, squeezing his hand.

"The baby moved," Zack said suddenly, staring at Aerith intently. "It moved, it heard us. Aerith! We're gonna have a baby!" He pulled her closer, it all really hitting him in that moment.

"I know," Aerith said, "Zack..." The baby kicked again, "I..."

"I love you," Zack said, kissing her, repeating the words with each new kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"I know," he grinned, pulling back.

Aerith grinned, "I have to tell Reno and Riku."

Zack nodded, "Okay. I should call Cloud."

"Not yet." Aerith pulled him back in for another kiss, before pulling back, "Hope we're not interrupting too much, but at the same time, this is more important." she grinned, rubbing her swollen belly before reaching onto the nightstand to grab her phone. "Do you want to call Reno together? If it's my number he probably won't hang up on you."

Zack chuckled and nodded, "Okay."

XXXX

Xigbar walked out of his room, going over to the couch but staying out of Kairi's line of sight. "Eyes closed, Red?"

"Yesssss, but will you tell me why yet?" Kairi pouted.

Xigbar rolled his eyes, dropping the white teddy bear holding a box of chocolates onto her lap. "You can open now."

Kairi opened her eyes, looking down at the teddy bear and chocolates, "Aww, Xigbar, thank you." she smiled.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Red," he said, sitting next to her and smiling.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Kairi smiled, leaning and kissing him.

Xigbar kissed her back easily, pulling back after a few moments. "So. I have to work later, but I was thinking of taking you out for lunch. Sound good?"

"Sure." Kairi smiled, "Sounds great."

"Good," Xigbar said, kissing her again. "Now, open your chocolates so you can share with me." He grinned cheekily.

Kairi giggled, opening the box and popping one in her mouth before offering one to her boyfriend.

Xigbar opened his mouth, eating the candy from her hand and licking the smudge of chocolate from her fingertips, humming in delight at the taste.

Kairi leaned in and kissed him again.

Xigbar was grinning when they broke apart. "So you like your present, Red?"

"Very much." Kairi grinned back, "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Sass. Now, gimme another one of those," he smirked.

XXXX

"Tifa!" Reno shouted towards her office, "When Nam gets here, can you send her out back? I'm gonna go check to make sure everything's set."

"Sure, sure." Tifa called back to him, waving her hand.

Reno smiled, heading out the doors towards the back garden of Tifa's restaurant.

Namine smoothed her dress as she climbed out of her car, waving to Kairi and heading inside the restaurant and looking around for Reno, not spotting him at the bar.

Tifa poked her head out of her office, "Oh, hey Namine." she said, "He's in the back, told me to send you that way."

"In the back?" Namine repeated, confused.

Tifa chuckled, standing up and leading her through the restaurant, holding open the door that lead to the garden for her.

"Thank you," Namine said absently, looking around in wonder. "I didn't realize there was a garden here!"

Hearing her voice, Reno walked over, "Tifa doesn't usually let people eat back here. She used to have it open for people to walk through and stuff, but there was some vandalism a few months back and she closed it off." he leaned in, giving her a kiss, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Namine beamed up at him, "Happy Valentine's day to you too."

Reno took her hand, leading her over to the table he'd set up and pulled a chair out for her, "I figured we could have an early dinner out here since I have to work later."

Namine smiled, "This is lovely. Thank you."

Reno smiled back, crossing to sit on the other side so that they could start eating.

Some time later, Namine sat back in her chair and smiled, "That was delicious, Reno. Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Reno smiled back. Glancing at his watch, he frowned. "My shift starts in ten minutes."

"Really?" Namine asked, surprised that it was that late already. "Well then, perhaps I'll stay for a while, keep you come company in between customers."

"That'd be great." Reno smiled.

Namine returned the smile as she stood. "This was amazing. Let me help you clear it up so that you aren't late."

"You sure?" Reno asked.

"Of course," Namine nodded. Together, they cleared everything and walked back into the main restaurant, heading to the bar. Reno smoothly slid into the job and Namine smiled a little from her seat, just enjoying watching him work. At some point he placed a glass of wine in front of her, and she sipped it now and then. Jealousy burned in her gut when she saw him wait on a very attractive woman, but it disappeared when he turned to smile and wink at her before moving further down the bar.

Once the bar calmed down a bit, Reno leaned over the bar to give Namine a kiss before smiling, "Enjoying your wine?"

"Mhm," Namine hummed, smiling and slightly flushed. "Yes, thank you."

Reno smiled, "Good."

"I think that woman over there is trying to get your attention," she murmured, nodding in the direction of the impatient brunette.

Reno sighed and grumbled something about customers not always being right. "Be right back," he murmured, before crossing the bar to the woman.

Idly, Namine finished her glass of wine and pulled out her cell phone, shocked to see how late it was. She hadn't intended to stay for the whole of Reno's shift, but she'd nearly done just that.

Reno finished with the customer, and bid her a friendly (but completely faked, the woman was clingy beyond all belief) farewell as she left. Glancing around the bar and noticing that it was empty save for Namine, he called over to Tifa, who had her office door open.

"Gonna close down a few minutes early since the bar emptied out."

"Sure." Tifa nodded, "Get out of here and enjoy the rest of your night-I've got cleanup."

Reno raised an eyebrow, "What do you want?"

"Shut up and just accept my good will for once." Tifa rolled her eyes.

Reno shrugged, walking back over to Namine.

"All set for the night, then?" the blonde asked when he got closer.

"Yep." Reno smiled, "You need to get home, or do you wanna come over?"

"Aren't you tired?" Namine asked, assuming he'd just want to sleep after working.

"Nah, I'm plenty awake." Reno shrugged.

Namine bit her lip, "If you're sure..."

Reno chuckled, "I wouldn't have invited you if I wasn't sure, Nam. Come on."

Namine hesitated a moment more before nodding. "Okay. Kairi dropped me off, anyway."

"Cool." Reno smiled, "Let's get out of here before Tifa changes her mind and makes me clean."

Namine smiled back, taking his hand and going with him to his car. They drove through the rather empty streets to his apartment, and Namine didn't think to ask until he was unlocking the door - "Is Riku home?"

"No idea, but if he is, let's just avoid his room altogether." Reno suggested, remembering the situation he'd caught Riku in earlier that day.

Namine nodded in agreement. "All right. He's probably sleeping, anyway. Should we not sit in the living room then?"

"Er, probably." Reno frowned, "Bedroom okay with you, or would you rather the living room?"

Namine only hesitated for a moment, reminding herself sternly that Reno was a gentleman and it wasn't like she hadn't already slept in his bed, "The bedroom's okay."

Reno chuckled, "Kay. Wanna watch a movie or something?"

Namine smiled, "Sure." She followed him into his room. "Something nonviolent?"

"Of course." Reno chuckled, "Anything you want-choose a movie."

Moving over to the healthy stack of them next to his TV, she picked out a comedy and put it into the player, glancing around and realizing that they'd be sitting on his bed if they wanted to sit at all.

Reno sat down, leaning back against the wall behind his bed, offering a hand to her.

Namine slipped out of her shoes and took it, climbing onto the bed and settling next to him.

He settled an arm around her and hit the button on the remote that would start the movie.

Halfway through it, and Namine was nodding off against his shoulder. Jerking herself awake for the third time, she glanced at the clock. "Maybe I should head home..."

Tired himself, Reno mumbled, "Stay the night?"

"All right," Namine agreed, tired and not wanting to make Reno drive her home. Instead, she moved and started to climb off the bed to sleep on the couch.

Reno pulled her back down, "I promise I won't do anything." he said, shutting the TV off and tossing the remote off the bed.

"I know," she said, jittery all of a sudden. She pulled away from him a bit, let him pull up the covers onto them both, laying down onto his pillow, heart hammering in her chest. "Goodnight."

"Night, Nam." Reno smiled at her, before shutting his eyes.

She lay awake for a long while after his breathing evened out until she'd relaxed enough to sleep.

XXXX

Hayner stuffed his hands into his (Seifer's) jacket pockets. There was still a bit of snow on the ground and the air had lost none of its chill - just the way he liked it.  
He jogged across the crosswalk and entered campus, heading to the building where Seifer had his last class to meet him, having walked from his house since his classes had canceled for the day and Olette had the car.

"Hey, kid." A blonde woman called to him from the sidewalk across the way, glancing both ways before crossing over.

Hayner slowed, glancing back at her. "Are you talking to me?"

"Do you _see_ anyone else around here?" She raised an eyebrow.

Hayner snorted, "No, but I also see a nutjob trying to talk to me and calling me 'kid.'" He turned to continue walking.

The woman grabbed his arm, "Hey!"

"What the hell? Let go!" Hayner yelled, struggling in her grip and debating his reasons against hitting women.

"Look, I'm just trying to warn you here, so shut the fuck up and listen for a second." she said, not letting go of Hayner's arm, "You're dating Seifer, right? You want to leave him behind _now_. He's bad news-he's fucking psycho. He gets his kicks from taking someone who isn't interested in him and fucking with them until they are. And once they are, he leaves them like they're just trash. Get out while you can."

Hayner studied her more carefully, stopping his struggles. "Who the fuck are you? How do you know that I'm dating Seifer? And he wouldn't do something like that!"

"I'm one of Seifer's many exes." she answered, letting him go, "And you'd be surprised what he'd do. Just ask him."

Hayner snorted again, "Sure, I'll just go up to my boyfriend and casually ask him how many other people he's fucked around with. Yeah, right, lady."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She turned to leave, "You'd be wise to take my advice."

Hayner frowned, watching her go and shaking his head, continuing on to the building he was meeting Seifer at. Sitting down at a nearby bench, his leg bounced as he couldn't help but think over her words. His immediate reaction was to deem her crazy and move on, but what if...?

"Hey," Seifer's voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

Hayner jumped, "Hey."

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Bit jumpy?"

Hayner chuckled, embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry. Let's go. Your place, right?"

Seifer nodded, "Yeah, come on, I'm parked over here."

Hayner wordlessly followed him, climbing in and waiting until the other blonde was inside as well. "Hey, Seifer?"

"Hm?" Seifer asked.

"How many other people you been with?" Hayner asked.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, "Er..." he thought for a sec, "Dunno. Quite a few, I guess."

Hayner frowned, "Really? Any.. last?"

Seifer shrugged, "Not really."

Hayner made a noncommittal sound, turning to stare out the window, thoughts buzzing around in his head. No way, Roxas had pushed him to this, there was no way there was something wrong with Seifer... right?

Seifer glanced over, "Everything all right?"

"Yep. Fine," Hayner answered, still thinking.

Seifer frowned, but went back to driving, pulling into the apartment complex.

Hayner followed Seifer up the stairs to the apartment, head a mess. _'He leaves them like they're just trash... fucking psycho...' the ex said. 'Just be careful.' Cloud frowned. 'Hope you're prepared.' Xigbar warned. 'Seifer's great!' Roxas insisted, even as Axel stiffened. Axel... at the party, at his house, he tenses around Seifer. Won't look at him, talk to him, something had to have happened... And everyone knew? And they all fucking knew!_

"Holy shit!" Hayner jerked in the doorway. "She was right - everyone was warning me from the fucking beginning! Fuck!"

Seifer turned, "Hayner?" he asked, surprised.

"And you fucking just told me yourself - none of them last!" Hayner let out a hysterical little laugh. "God, am I that fucking gullible?" he muttered to himself.

His outburst caught the attention of Kairi and Xigbar, who were sitting on the couch. Kairi glanced over, frowning, "Hayner?"

"It's been staring me in the face the whole damn time, Kairi. The whole fucking time." Hayner turned to Seifer. "So what, you get some kinda twisted pleasure out of fucking us and dropping us? Do you typically go after the sexually-confused or am I just special? Ha, right. Me, special." He shook his head, fists balling.

Kairi glanced at Xigbar, a worried look on her face as Seifer's eyes widened as he (finally) realized what was going on, "Hayner, it's not like that."

"Yeah, listen-" Xigbar was cut off by Hayner.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Hayner snapped. "Don't fucking defend him! He just told me himself, he's had so many people he can't even remember! Do you even remember their names, what they look like? Am I just a notch in the bedpost? Fuck you! I knew it! I fucking told Rox, there'd be no way someone like you would want me - and Rox! He fucking knows, too, doesn't he? He's got to, what with the way Cloud's warned me about you and the way Axel looks like he could kill you. What, you fuck him once-upon-a-time, too? Huh? Say something, goddammit!"

With the flurry of thoughts running through Seifer's head, the only thing he managed was, "I didn't fuck Axel."

"Someone close to him then. Fuck, you're fucking psycho, you know that? How many people like me have you fucked with - confused them all to shit until they're convinced they actually feel something for you only to have a nice slam, bam, thank you ma'am and fucking walk away? Huh? Well, not me goddamn you. Not me!" Hayner yanked off the jacket he was wearing, balling it and throwing it hard into Seifer's face. "Stay the fuck away from me, I swear to God, Seifer, you stay the fuck away or I don't know what I'll do." Hayner said, shaking with barely restrained fury.

"Hayner, look, calm down..." Xigbar trailed off with one look at the kid's face.

"Fuck you, too, Xigbar. You live with him - how could you let him do this shit?" Hayner demanded.

Xigbar looked away.

"That's what I thought," Hayner said. He turned to glare at Seifer, who was still frozen in place. "I fucking hate you. I thought we were..." Angrily, he swiped at his eyes, refusing to give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing him cry, "Whatever. Doesn't matter now. Stay the fuck outta my life."

He turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him, the apartment falling silent in his wake.

"Shit." Kairi jumped up before either of the two men could react. "He's going to try and walk home-he lives like six miles from here." she gave Xigbar a kiss, "I'm just going to drive him-I'll be back after." she sent him an apologetic smile before hurrying after Hayner.

"Seifer? What the fuck happened?" Xigbar asked, watching his girlfriend leave.

"I have no fucking idea!" Seifer snapped, "He just blew up! He was... well, he was quiet in the car, but you saw the whole explosion." He grumbled softly to himself, "Shit, what am I going to do?"

Xigbar dragged a hand over his face. "Something, but not now. Going after him now will only make things worse. Gotta give him time to cool... Fuck, this is a mess."

"You think?" Seifer snapped, "Shit. Shit shit shit."

"Seifer... Are you... I mean, well, some might say it'd be easier to cut your losses and move on," Xigbar said cautiously.

Seifer turned to glare at Xigbar in response.

"Right. Didn't think so," Xigbar sighed. "Well, I'm at your disposal. I'll help any way I can. But I think right now, you both need some time to think."

Seifer sighed, nodding, "Right. Thanks."

"It'll work out. Once he calms down and you can reason with him..." Xigbar trailed off, not really knowing how to comfort his friend in this situation.

Seifer sighed again, but didn't say anything else.


End file.
